Close Your Eyes, Make a Wish
by Hikari Kaitou
Summary: Magic!AU. When Finland finds himself lost and at death's door in a violent blizzard, he happens to stumble, quite literally, over something that could change his life forever: a genie's lamp. Eventual SuFin.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N**: I promised a few months ago that someday I would write a SwedenxFinland-centric fic with actual plot, now here it is! I hope you enjoy it! And just because I know someone will mention it or ask why I did this, I'm sticking with country names even though it's AU because I don't care for the human names. A matter of personal taste, I suppose.

Also, thank you very much to my new beta, onlyforhetalia on LiveJournal, for helping polish this up. And now, on with the story.

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><p>Over the course of his not-so-long life, Finland had imagined on at least a few occasions what his death might be like. He hadn't done it in an "oh god, I wish I was dead" kind of way so much as an "it'll happen to everyone someday. I wonder how I'll go. I hope it's with a bow in my hand and a noble cause in my heart," kind of way. But though he had pictured the end of his life on several occasions, none of the ways had been as painful or unglamorous as this (except for that one time when he had heard about that old man in his town who had died while on the toilet and he had immediately prayed that such a thing would never happen to him).<p>

Every breath of bitterly cold air stung his throat and lungs, and his legs were disconcertingly numb from the knees down except when he forced his foot to puncture the deep snow and support his weight, at which time he would receive a jolt of pain. His mouth was so dry that the already dehydrated air caused it to burn when he inhaled. He could only tell by looking at them directly that his arms were still attached since they were so numb that he could no longer feel them. Even his eyelashes seemed to be on the verge of freezing together so that he could no longer even make out the large, wet snowflakes falling thick, heavy, and rapidly from the sky around him.

Finland tried to moan in his misery as his thoroughly empty stomach growled in protest at the demands he was placing on his frozen and exhausted body, but even that small satisfaction was denied to him. Either his mouth and throat were so dry that he could no longer produce the sound, or the wind of the blizzard whipping around him was so loud that his pitiful noise was drowned out completely.

His futile attempt to use his voice sent him into a painful coughing fit. Finland tripped headlong into the snow, his aching body wracked with coughs. He peered through the gap in his scarf, which he had wrapped around his face for protection and his partially frozen eyelashes again, hoping desperately for any sign of civilization on the horizon. All he could see was endless white against a drab gray backdrop. Perhaps he really would die here. At this point, it would almost be a relief.

Finland flopped his heavy, throbbing head face-down into the snow, listlessly taking in a mouthful in an attempt to ease some of his suffering with the closest thing to water that he had available to him. It didn't do much good. _I have to get up or I really am done for, _he warned himself even as he drew his stiff legs toward his chest. _And above all, I mustn't fall asleep. _

Oh, but didn't the prospect of a nap sound wonderful right now? Granted, this wasn't exactly his ideal location, but he hardly had a choice. Every inch of him was so cold and exhausted; perhaps a little rest would make him feel better. If he stretched his imagination, he could almost call the icy snow soft and warm. Finland's eyelids fluttered feebly and he coughed again helplessly.

He was just about to surrender to the dark bliss of unconsciousness, when he noticed something hooked on the toe of his boot. His feet were so numb and his condition so miserable that he hadn't even noticed it before. Was this what he had tripped over? Finland reached for it slowly, his limbs stiff and difficult to maneuver, and managed to clumsily unhook it from his boot and draw it closer to him.

With his swimming vision and foggy head, it took Finland a few seconds to discern what it might be. It appeared to be a teapot of some sort, presumably made of metal. The surface was dark and not particularly shiny, but he could make out some impressively ornate impressions in the metal. Perhaps there was something useful inside. _I'd do anything for some hot soup… _Finland thought faintly as he fumbled with the lid. He was unable to gain enough control over his fingers to clutch the lid between them, so he ended up knocking it aside with a graceless swipe.

What happened next was lost on Finland at the time, though he was later able to piece together what must have occurred after hearing the story told to him. The tea pot-looking contraption began to gush thick, navy-colored smoke from its spout. But instead of being whisked away in the roaring wind of the storm, it gathered into a towering, imposing figure, seemingly completely unperturbed by the elements trying to sweep it off into oblivion.

Finland blinked at the figured dazedly, only partially seeing it, but not really processing it. It occurred to him dimly that the towering shape before him might be the final darkness gathering in his vision. _No… a person…? _He guessed. Suddenly, the figure began to speak to him in a deep, rumbling voice, one that sounded as though it hadn't been used in quite some time. Somehow though, he could hear it clearly over the storm.

"What's yer d'sire?"

His desire? Finland coughed weakly. This was probably a hallucination, but ideas trickled sluggishly into his head all the same. _Heat… safety… food… a bed…_ he thought, his thoughts flowing about as quickly as chilled molasses. _Not dying would be nice…_ Even if the thing before him was just a figment of his imagination, he held on to a tiny sliver of hope that this could really be happening. Now if only he could make his parched vocal chords form words. He hardly noticed the large figure bending down at his side, resting a strangely solid-looking smoky hand on his back and rustling him gently.

"Can y' hear me?" the giant asked. "Y' still 'live?"

"P-please…" Finland rasped, not even able to hear himself over the howl of the blizzard, "a warm… s-s-safe place… where I can… heal."

The attempt at speech left him coughing again. He was sure the smoky thing hadn't heard him. How could it have when he could barely produce a sound? Finland could feel his already weak awareness slipping further away from him. The dark shape spoke again, but Finland couldn't make out its words this time. His freezing eyelids finally drooped shut and he knew no more.

* * *

><p>Sweden had to admit that he was startled when the top of his lamp was suddenly ripped off. He had been lounging in his lamp, enjoying a beer and the newspaper (just because he had to stay inside his lamp whenever he was without a master, didn't mean he had to be completely cut off from the rest of the world!), imagining a heated debate he'd like to have with the author of the article he was currently reading, when suddenly his ceiling vanished with a harsh clanging sound. No matter how many times it had happened, he never got used to the abruptness with which his solitude was interrupted.<p>

Sweden's jaw clenched as he set aside his beer and paper. Though it had been awhile since anything like this had happened, but he hadn't forgotten what it signified. If his lamp had been opened, it meant a new master had picked him up; only human hands could remove the lid. Sweden often yearned to be free from his lamp, something that was forbidden to beings like him when they were between owners, but he always rose to greet his new keeper with dread in his heart.

Rules were rules, though; Sweden had no choice but to present himself to the person who had discovered his lamp. Squaring his shoulders resignedly, Sweden began to filter out through the spout. Although he didn't relish the idea of having someone to serve again, he couldn't help being curious as to what sort of person might be awaiting him outside. After he had fulfilled his duty to his last master, he had dropped himself in a very secluded area, hoping to avoid falling into service again for a while. Who would be wandering around in these wastelands in such a formidable storm?

Even after Sweden had fully materialized, it took him a moment to locate the person who had opened his lamp. It wasn't until a series of pitiful coughs reached his ears that his eyes fell on an utterly miserable-looking figure half curled up on the ground in a partial fetal position. Unless he was misjudging the situation, his new master was in dire peril. No matter how he disliked being bound to a human, he didn't like to see anyone suffer, and he liked to see them die even less. He'd better pose his offer quickly.

"What's yer d'sire?" he asked.

He surveyed the man on the ground curiously, as he awaited his answer. Well, Sweden guessed that it was a man. The person before him was thoroughly bundled up and lying facedown, and not much was visible that wasn't part of the heavy winter clothing. Judging by the height, it was possible that this person was not even fully-grown. It could be a teen, or even a rather tall child, though he couldn't imagine what a child would be doing wandering the wastes alone in a storm like this.

To tell the truth, the only real evidence Sweden had to suspect that it was a man was the sound of the cough, which his new master did again presently instead of answering his question. Perhaps it was already too late for this person. Sweden crouched at his side concernedly, reaching out to give him a little shake.

"Can y' hear me?" he asked. "Y' still 'live?"

The man on the ground stirred weakly, and attempted to lift his head. His face was mostly obscured by a thick, woolen scarf, so even this did not afford Sweden a very good view of him.

"P-please…" his new master choked at last, "a warm… s-s-safe place… where I can… heal."

A rather modest request, especially given the circumstances.

"Yer wish 's my c'mmand."

Sweden got to work straight away. This man, and Sweden was sure now that he was a young man, or at least a boy in his late teens, did not appear to have much time left. He just hoped it wasn't too late already. With a wave of his hand, Sweden conjured up a small and simple, but cozy and charming little house, complete with a fireplace. Being an appreciator of fine architecture and tasteful home furnishings, Sweden would normally have given a little more thought to its appearance, but time was of the essence.

Sweden scooped the seemingly unconscious man into his arms and carried him carefully inside. He was just musing that his master was strangely light in his arms when he heard his stomach growl hungrily. Sweden frowned, what could drive a man to attempt to travel in such a deserted area when he was in such rough condition? He had a pack hanging from his shoulders, but as it was pressed against Sweden's arm, he could feel that it was nearly empty. Was this man driven to such reckless action by desperate need or merely by stupidity?

In any case, Sweden knew that what he needed to do was to get his new master into a warm bath. This man probably had frostbite and the best cure for that was not warming the victim by a fire, which could not be felt on frostbitten skin and therefore often led to burns, but by soaking the afflicted areas in body temperature water. He just hoped that his master had gotten lucky and was not going to lose any limbs because of it.

Sweden sighed. If only the man had asked to be healed, then Sweden could do so quickly and painlessly with magic. Admittedly, the man appeared to be on the brink of death, which probably made it considerably more difficult to be rational about his wish-making.

Sweden carried the man into the bathroom and laid him gently on the floor. First things first: Sweden would need to assess the severity of the suspected frostbite. He began to remove his master's winter clothing quickly but carefully, layer by layer. The gloves were the first things to be removed, then the boots. There were numerous layers beneath both of these articles; at least this man had had the sense to cover his body well. Perhaps the damage would not be as bad as he had initially expected.

After removing the extra layers under the man's gloves and boots, Sweden found his gaze drawn to the scarf around his head. He was a bit curious as to what his master's face looked like. He pulled down his master's hood, mindful of his bright red ears, revealing a mop of short, smooth, light golden hair. It was damp with melted snow or sweat, or possibly both, but looked otherwise clean and well-cared for.

Though the man's hair was fairly nice-looking, Sweden's interest wasn't really piqued until he began to remove his scarf. Slender brows, smooth skin (though it was an unhealthy-looking splotchy red color from his venture in the snow), what would probably have been wide, innocent-looking eyes had they been open, a cute little button nose, and even his lips, which were slightly blue and very chapped from the wind, managed to be attractive. While Sweden admitted that he had seen some good-looking humans in his day, the wishes that some of his human masters had made him grant had caused him to become somewhat disillusioned with them as a species so that he normally wasn't attracted to them based on physical appearance alone. But this man was different. Sweden could feel the color rising in his cheeks.

His master coughed again painfully, reminding Sweden that he had a duty to do which needed to be performed with haste. Feeling flustered, Sweden began to fumble with the clasps on the man's coat. Although he knew that it was silly to let himself be taken with this man so quickly simply because he was cute, Sweden couldn't help himself. It was lonely being trapped inside his lamp for literally years at a time with no company. Although he couldn't be sure just by looking, there was a kind, honest quality to this man's features that made Sweden imagine him to possess not only a pleasant face, but a pleasant personality as well.

He genuinely wanted to get his adorable new master back on his feet. Perhaps there was some ambiguity in the way the man had worded his request that would allow him to be more lenient with the way he granted it. Sweden's hands continued to strip away the layers and layers of extra clothing as he recalled the precise words that his master had used.

"_Please, a warm, safe place where I can heal."_

A place where he could heal… Sweden didn't see a whole lot of wiggle room in that wording. If he had said "where I can _be _healed," Sweden could have worked with it more easily. It looked like using magic to directly heal him was out of the question. After all, the limitations on his powers were that he could do only what his master requested from him; it was physically impossible for him to use his magic to grant more than what had been wished for out of generosity.

Then again, perhaps there was a little room for a looser interpretation there. If left to his own devices, this man would certainly die. He needed some help. Even if Sweden couldn't immediately magic away all his ailments, he could at least use his powers to assist the natural process. The corners of Sweden's lips twitched upwards wryly. When was the last time he had attempted to be more generous with the interpretation of a wish, rather than more restrictive? He honestly couldn't remember.

Sweden flicked his hand at the bathtub, which immediately filled itself with water of the perfect temperature. His master was now clad only in his undergarments, his skin exposed so that Sweden could see the extent of his frostbite. Sweden grimaced at the painful-looking raw, red areas on his skin. He hoped there wouldn't be lasting damage. All things considered though, it wasn't nearly as bad as Sweden had expected. He wasn't sure how his master had managed it, but it looked as though he'd gotten off with a relatively mild case.

Trying to touch him only in areas that would protect the young man's modesty as much as possible, Sweden gathered him into his arms again carefully. He felt his face flush as bare skin pressed against him, but ordered himself to ignore it. He lowered his master's still partially clothed body carefully into the warm, shallow water.

Now that his master was in the proper environment, he needed to rest there for an hour or two so that his body could readjust itself to the proper temperature. Unfortunately it was clear to him that the man's problems extended beyond frostbite and hypothermia. Judging by the raspy quality of his coughing and the rumbling of his stomach, he was in need of food and water as well. Sweden rolled up his sleeves, knowing that he had some work ahead of him.

* * *

><p>Sweden had initially been relieved when his master's temperature began to rise from its hypothermic state towards a healthy temperature, but to his dismay it continued to climb. The man developed a high fever and a chill which caused him to shiver almost ceaselessly, no matter how Sweden covered him with blankets or filled his stomach with warm stew and tea. His cough persisted stubbornly even after he had been properly hydrated, producing a harsh, deep-chested sound that aroused pity in Sweden every time he heard it.<p>

Caring for his master was nearly a twenty-four-hour job. Sweden was sure that if he had been subject to the physical limitations of a human being, he couldn't have managed it on his own. It was a whole two days before the man even opened his eyes. They fluttered open dazedly as Sweden wiped the fever-induced sweat from his face with a damp cloth.

Sweden felt his something in his chest stutter as those breathtaking violet eyes attempted to focus on his face. His master cleared his throat and rubbed his eyes groggily. Even after he had done this, the expression in his gaze was rather hazy, as if he still wasn't really awake.

Sweden realized that the hand holding the damp cloth had been resting on the man's forehead for an awkwardly long time and he jerked away, feeling embarrassed. In general, Sweden didn't find the solitude of the time he spent in his lamp completely tortuous, but he noticed that it had an adverse effect on his skill and comfort in dealing with people, a fact that he was being painfully reminded of at the moment. It occurred to him that his giant, smoky form may not be the best appearance for greeting someone who had just woken up and he hastened to take on a more human visage.

"Wh…where…?" the man began hoarsely. He seemed to be having difficulty grasping the words he wanted from his fever-stricken brain, but Sweden was pretty sure he knew what his master wanted to ask.

"A warm, safe place," Sweden replied, using his master's own words.

The silence that followed this answer was long enough to become slightly uncomfortable.

"Are you the one who saved me?" his master mumbled finally. "…Thank you…"

He shrugged self-consciously.

"'M a genie, 'n' yer m' master. 'S m' job t' help ya."

Sweden regretted his phrasing as soon as these words came out of his mouth. Yes, he _was_ a genie, this man _was_ his master, and he _was_ obligated to help him, but this man was also incredibly cute. Perhaps he could have worded that explanation a bit differently to color himself more positively in this man's mind. If his master was at all offended by this, however, he gave no indication as such; he merely coughed and shivered again. He didn't even react to Sweden's claim that he was a genie. Sweden supposed he really must still be half-asleep.

"How d'ya feel?" he asked.

His master sniffled miserably, his eyes slipping closed again. "…Cold…and sore…"

Sweden approached the fireplace, tossing a few more logs into the already moderate flames to stoke it even further before producing a mug of tea.

"Can y' drink?" Sweden asked as he crouched at the man's side.

His master made a few feeble attempts to sit up before Sweden took pity on him, slipping an arm behind his back to help him into a sitting position, and letting him support himself by leaning against him. The man sipped the tea carefully and sighed, his breath caressing Sweden's neck, and Sweden felt his face growing very warm again. In desperate attempt to distract himself from his own acute discomfort, Sweden tried to voice the question that had been burning in his mind since he had first removed the man's scarf from around his face.

"Got a name?"

Wonderful, Sweden; really eloquent. His master probably thought he sounded like a caveman.

"Finland," his master replied vaguely. "And you?"

"Sweden," he mumbled.

"Sweden…" Finland repeated. "…You're nice and warm…"

Sweden went scarlet as his master squirmed closer, trying to share some of Sweden's warmth. Still, even as uneasy as he was with this adorable stranger snuggling up to him, he would be lying if he said he disliked it. He sat stock still, allowing Finland to bask in his body heat, not wanting to push him away, yet unable to gather the nerve to draw him closer.

After a moment or two, which seemed to Sweden, an immortal being, to last hours, he chanced another downward glance and found Finland fast asleep against him. He took the tea that was resting precariously in Finland's lap and set it aside before laying him back down gently, covering him with the blankets, and hurriedly excusing himself to regain his composure.

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><p>All throughout the rest of the day, Sweden couldn't take his eyes off of Finland. He knew that he needed to get a grip on himself, that it was ridiculous to be so enamored with someone just because they had a cute face and the two of them had held a civil conversation. But then he would recall how Finland had thanked him so sweetly for his help, and how pleasant his feverishly warm body had felt snuggled up against him, and he would feel himself start to blush again. Besides, when had he last given or received a friendly touch? When had he last even spoken to anyone else?<p>

Sweden sat at Finland's bedside that night, unable to focus on his newspaper over the desire to watch his master's adorable sleeping face, longing to reach out and stroke his hair, but not daring to do so. He maintained his more human form from before so that he wouldn't terrify Finland if he opened his eyes again.

The blizzard that had put Finland in this pitiable state continued to rage outside, rattling the windows of their secure shelter sullenly. This made it even more difficult to concentrate on his newspaper. He was just considering trying to do some whittling to pass the time when Finland stirred. Sweden's intense gaze locked onto him again, the simultaneously excited and nervous tension building in his chest as he waited for Finland's eyes to open.

Finland's eyes remained closed, but he continued to squirm fitfully beneath his pile of blankets. He gave a strangled moan, his previously peaceful expression becoming one of increasing terror. Finland must be having a nightmare. He thrashed, his breathing growing fast and harsh, sweat standing out from his face as he moaned again.

There were tears gathering in the corners of Finland's eyes. Sweden hesitated uncertainly, then shook his master gently by the shoulder. Finland sat up so suddenly that he almost whacked their foreheads together. Tears ran down his cheeks as he looked around wildly, his breathing still harsh. Sweden sighed, calming himself from the start that Finland's sudden awakening had given him. He patted his master on the shoulder awkwardly.

"'S ok," he said. "J'st a dream."

Finland shook his head, wiping his eyes on his sleeve. "It wasn't… It was real… You weren't there… you didn't see…"

Sweden didn't know what to do. Finland seemed extremely distraught and disoriented, and even adjusting to being awake didn't seem to be dispelling his fear and grief. Sweden patted his shoulder again, feeling silly and useless. Finland sagged against him again, his trembling fingers gripping at Sweden's shirt, his blazing forehead resting wearily against Sweden's shoulder.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. "I'm sorry."

Sweden wasn't sure if Finland was talking to him or someone from his dream, but he blushingly allowed the contact, letting Finland pour out his apologies until he drifted off again.

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><p>It was a whole week before Finland regained extended and stable consciousness. Over all, Sweden thought he was looking much better. He had stopped shivering and his fever was almost gone. Sweden had predicted that Finland would wake any day now, so he wasn't terribly surprised when he came back from stoking the fire that morning to find him sitting up in bed, and examining his surroundings curiously. He seemed much more alert than he had the last time Sweden had seen him with his eyes open.<p>

Feeling relieved to see that his master was on the mend, Sweden cleared his throat to announce his presence. Finland turned his head towards him, then let out a shout of alarm and fear. Sweden watched blankly as Finland cowered under his blankets. He frowned. It was nothing new to have someone be intimidated by him, but usually he was only met with this kind of fear when he first emerged from his lamp in his giant, smoky form. His human form was usually received a bit more calmly, though some of his masters had still seemed edgy around him when he looked like a human.

"Y' feelin' better?" Sweden asked, not sure how else to respond.

Finland peered out from his blankets at him, looking as if he wasn't sure he had heard him properly.

"Eh?"

"Y've been real sick fer a long time," Sweden explained. "'S been 'lmost a week since I foundja."

"Y-you're the one who's been taking care of me all this time?" Finland asked.

Sweden nodded, relieved when Finland lowered his blanket barrier, looking shocked but less frightened.

"Really?" Finland said, looking as if he could scarcely believe it. "Oh, um… th-thank you… I'm sorry for causing so much trouble. I'm feeling much better today."

"'M glad," Sweden said.

"I, um… I'm afraid I don't have much money, but if there's any way I can repay you for your hospitality, please let me know," Finland told him politely.

"Y' don't hafta pay," Sweden assured him. "Yer m' master so I'm bound t' serve ya."

The bewildered and startled look returned to Finland's face. "M-master? …Uh, there seems to be some sort of mistake. I'm not sure who you think I am, but I'm sure this is the first time we've met."

"Y' found m' lamp 'n' opened it," Sweden said. "That means yer m' master 'ntil y've used up all yer wishes."

"Lamp? Wishes?" Finland repeated. "I'm sorry, am I missing something here?"

Sweden retrieved his lamp from the mahogany dresser beside him and brought it to Finland for his inspection. "'M a genie, tha's m' lamp, 'n' yer m' master."

Finland stared at him as if he had just claimed to have come to Earth from Jupiter. He glanced numbly at the metal, teapot looking object Sweden had handed him and opened the lid absentmindedly. With a quiet whoosh, Sweden allowed himself to be sucked back into its depths briefly, before reemerging with a poof of navy smoke. Finland gaped at him.

"A genie? A real, live genie?"

Sweden nodded.

"The kind that grants the master any wish he makes?" There was a hungry look in Finland's eyes, but it was a bit different from the greedy expression his most hated masters had worn. This was a look of deep relief and hope.

"There're some lim'tations, but I c'n grant almost 'ny wish," Sweden replied.

"Can you bring people back from the dead?" Finland asked urgently.

Sweden shook his head. "There're only a few things I can't do, but that's one of 'em."

"Then… can you send me back in time so that I can stop someone from dying?" he asked desperately.

Sweden hesitated, knowing that this answer would probably upset Finland, but finally shook his head again.

"Can't change death," Sweden said. "Can't make people fall 'n love, letcha wish fer more wishes, 'r unmake a wish so y' c'n use it again."

Finland looked heartbroken. His shoulders slumped and he set the lamp back down on his bed. "I see… So it's no use, then. I really can't change it."

Sweden could see that he had upset Finland, though he hadn't meant to. He was pretty powerful, but no genie could interfere with deaths that had already happened. "Other 'n those things, pretty much 'nythin's fine," he said, attempting to cheer him up.

"Anything but that, huh?" Finland sighed, looking gloomy. "I see…"

"'N' y' get ten wishes," Sweden blurted, wanting to wipe that sad look off of Finland's adorable face.

"That many?" Finland asked, looking surprised. "I thought genies usually only granted three."

Sweden shrugged, trying to look nonchalant about it even as his face warmed. Normally he did only give three, but Finland was so cute that he couldn't help wanting to stay with him longer.

"Hmm, ten wishes…" Finland mused.

"Well, nine," Sweden corrected him. "Y' used one t' wish fer this place b'fore."

"Right…" He turned the lamp thoughtfully in his hands, still looking morose. "Would you mind if I had some time to think about it?"

Sweden nodded. "'S much as y' need."

Finland set the lamp down on the bed beside him and laid back on his pillows once more with a sigh, draping his arm over his eyes. Sweden fidgeted uncertainly in the doorway, wondering what he should do. He really wanted to stay and try to have a proper conversation, but Finland seemed like he wanted to be left alone. Sweden decided to honor his wishes and reluctantly excused himself from the room.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: **I really shouldn't be writing this right now with all the finals stuff I have to do, but because I absolutely suck at managing my time, here is the next chapter. It's kind of a transitional chapter, but some important developments happen so I hope you'll enjoy it anyway.

* * *

><p>The next couple of days were uncomfortable for the two residents of that solitary little house. Finland was on the mend for sure, but he wasn't well enough to continue his journey to wherever he had been going when Sweden had saved him. The blizzard had died down for about two days while Finland was nearing the end of his convalescing period, but returned in full force not long after. They couldn't have left even if Finland had been fully healed.<p>

Sweden wanted desperately to approach Finland, to try to get to know him better, but he kept losing his nerve. It didn't help that Finland jumped and sometimes squeaked in fear when he saw Sweden. The last thing Sweden wanted was for Finland to be frightened of him, but he just got tongue-tied every time they were in a room together and couldn't reassure him that he meant no harm.

Finland, for his part, was also curious about his magical companion, but Sweden's countenance was so forbidding that Finland almost felt sure that the genie hated him and wanted him dead every time their eyes met. But then Sweden would do things like make him elaborate and delicious meals without being asked, prepare his baths, and place warming pans in his bed so that the sheets would be nice and toasty when he climbed into them at night.

Finland honestly didn't know what to make of this. Perhaps it was a genie thing that they had to make themselves useful in every possible way to their masters while in their service? That seemed unlikely. From what Finland knew of genies from the storybooks his nanny had read to him as a child, genies did nothing that their masters didn't expressly wish for.

Eventually, Finland screwed his courage to the sticking point and approached Sweden tentatively one evening with a mug of hot chocolate. Sweden, who had been whittling to pass the time while he wistfully imagined ways in which he might initiate a pleasant conversation with Finland that could lead to them somehow miraculously hitting it off, started slightly when Finland set the mug in front of him. His eyes darted to Finland's and saw the other man give him a timid smile.

"I don't know if genies drink hot chocolate," Finland began, "but I… I thought if we were going to be spending time together, it seemed only natural to try to get to know each other a little. Um, if you don't mind talking to me, that is."

"Mmh," Sweden grunted agreeably. "Thanks."

He accepted the hot chocolate and took a sip, his cheeks warming at Finland's kind gesture as the other man sat down across the table from him.

"'S good," Sweden said honestly, licking his lips.

"You think so?" Finland asked, his face breaking into a smile of relief as he flushed with pleasure at the unexpected compliment. The result was that he looked even more adorable than usual, causing Sweden's chest to flood with warmth. "Ahh, I'm so glad you like it! I wasn't sure what I'd do if it turned out that genies can't eat or drink!"

"We don' need t'," Sweden admitted. "B't most 'f us 'njoy 't anyway. Same with sleepin'."

"I see," Finland said, sounding genuinely interested. "No need to eat or sleep, huh? That must be convenient."

Sweden shrugged. He'd never known a life where he needed to do those things so he couldn't really say how different it was to not have to do them. Silence fell between them once again as they sipped their hot chocolate in unison, but it wasn't nearly as uncomfortable a silence as it had been before.

The genie chanced a glance at his master. He was fresh from the bath, his damp hair falling across his forehead gracefully and curling up a bit at the ends where it was starting to dry, his cheeks pleasantly pink, though whether it was from warmth or something else Sweden wasn't sure. Finland was clad in a pair of simple, light blue cotton pajamas. Sweden's chest clenched as he imagined himself and Finland talking amicably until late into the night when Finland might begin to nod off against him, cuddling closer for warmth.

"Let's see… your name was Sve, wasn't it?" Finland asked timidly after a moment, clearly worried that Sweden would be offended that he didn't remember his name properly. Sweden didn't blame him though; Finland had been pretty out of it when he'd introduced himself.

"Sweden," he corrected, "butcha c'n call me Sve 'f y' want."

"Ok, Sve, what're you carving?" Finland asked, pointing at the little chunk of wood Sweden was carefully shaping with his knife.

The genie offered the unfinished product to his master for closer inspection. Finland's eyes lit up as he examined the carving. "Oh, a little dog! How cute! Do you like dogs, Sve?"

"Mm, always wanted one," Sweden admitted, taking the carving back from Finland.

"Me too!" Finland said enthusiastically. "Wow! I'm so glad we found something we have in common!"

A tiny smile tugged at the corner of the genie's lips at Finland's joy over something as simple as having discovered something that the two of them shared. Glad to see Finland wearing such a carefree smile at last, he hurried to point out another thing that they had in common.

"Both like hot chocolate," Sweden reminded him, taking another sip.

"Yeah," Finland replied with a small smile. "You know, Sve… We might be spending quite a while together. It might be more fun if we were friends. What do you think?"

Sweden was honestly thrilled. The more time he spent with Finland, the more he liked him and thought that perhaps he might someday like to become more than just a friend to him. But this was a fine place to start. He was too embarrassed to say any of this, so he fought those feelings down with a blush.

"'D like that," Sweden admitted.

Finland's smile widened and he extended his hand to Sweden. The genie took his warm hand and shook it lingeringly. He hoped this was the start of something beautiful.

* * *

><p>Two days later, Finland's cough had gone away completely and the blizzard had cleared up at last. Finland was glad for this. Although he didn't dislike the little house that Sweden's magic had created for him, and he was starting to feel a bit more comfortable around Sweden himself, being trapped inside for so long was starting to make him restless. He'd had a destination in mind when he'd set out before the unexpected blizzard had hit, and he'd like to get there as soon as possible.<p>

Sweden, however, was a bit dubious as to whether Finland was fit for travel.

"Dunno 'f y' should go out there," he warned. "'S cold, 'n' it's a ways t' th' next town. Might be safer t' make a wish fer me t' teleportcha there."

"I don't want to waste a wish on that," Finland protested as he put on his snowshoes. "I might not look it, but I'm pretty strong in the cold. I would have made it to that town unharmed on the first try if I hadn't gotten lost."

"D' ya know which way t' go?" Sweden asked.

Finland reached into the pack he'd been carrying when Sweden found him and pulled out a battered map. "Well, now that I can see my surroundings without all that blowing snow, I'm pretty sure we're about here." He indicated a decently sized open area with a fairly shallow but long forest stretching around it. "I came from here, and this is where I'm headed. We can cut east through the forest and reach the town by early afternoon."

Finland was right; it wasn't that far. It might take them three hours at most to get there. Then again, in this cold, that could still be too long.

"Y' sure y' don' just wanna make a wish?" Sweden asked.

"It'll be fine," Finland assured him. "I want the exercise. Besides, if it seems like I'm in trouble again, I can always make a wish then."

Realizing that Finland wasn't going to back down, Sweden just fell silent, waiting for Finland to finish his preparations. His master pulled on his final pair of gloves, stood up, and slung his pack onto his shoulders. He had filled it with supplies from the house, so it was quite a bit fuller than it had been when Sweden had found him.

"Ok, I think I'm ready to go," Finland said.

Sweden leaned around him to open the door so that Finland could stumble clumsily out of the narrow entryway with his bulging pack and awkward snowshoes. He followed shortly after, closing the door behind them. With a wave of his hand, the house disappeared, leaving just a patch of undisturbed snow where it had been.

"Phew, it feels good to be out and about again," Finland sighed happily. "I start getting kind of antsy when I have to stay inside for such a long time."

"Where're we headed?" Sweden asked. He had been sitting on this question since he had found Finland, waiting for the proper time to bring it up.

"To Pohjola," Finland replied. "Actually, I've been moving around a lot these past five years, but I've gotten kind of tired of the drifter lifestyle and thought I'd try to settle down somewhere and make a life for myself. I'd planned to stay in the last town I'd been in, but I ended up not caring for it much and decided to move on again."

"You've b'n moving around fer five years?" Sweden looked Finland over. He admitted that he wasn't very good at guessing human ages, but Finland looked pretty young. "How old 're ya?"

"Twenty," Finland said.

"'N' yeh've b'n wanderin' alone all this time?" Sweden asked. "Why?"

His question was met with only silence. Sweden glanced at Finland tentatively, wondering if he'd accidentally meddled in something that he shouldn't have. Finland had a distant look on his face, and pain in his eyes.

"Sorry, I… I'd really rather not talk about that," Finland said quietly.

"Sorry," Sweden said quickly. "Didn't mean t' pry."

"Oh, don't worry about it," Finland insisted, waving the subject aside with a slightly forced smile. "You didn't know it was a sensitive subject. Anyway, I'm kind of curious about you, Sve."

"Me?" Sweden blushed. Personally he didn't see himself as being particularly interesting, but he didn't want to discourage any interest that Finland might have in him, even if he found that interest a bit embarrassing.

"Well, I've never met a real live genie before," Finland pointed out. "It must be very rewarding to get to use your magic to make people happy all the time."

Sweden glanced down at his feet barely making an imprint in the deep snow as he walked. "Sometimes," he mumbled. "B't some o' my masters've made me do awful things. Got no choice. 'F the master makes a wish, genie's gotta grant it whether 'e wants t' 'r not."

"I… hadn't really thought of that," Finland admitted. "Of course it makes sense that not everyone who picks up your lamp would have good intentions."

"'N' we're not 'llowed t' leave our lamp b'tween masters," Sweden continued. "Gotta wait fer th' next one t' come 'round, 'n' sometimes 't takes years. Gets pretty borin' jus' waitin'."

"You're not allowed to leave for years at a time?" Finland gasped. "You must get really lonely!"

Sweden shrugged. "Sometimes. 'M used to it, though. Sometimes I think 's better t' be stuck in m' lamp than takin' th' chance that I'll be picked up by a master who wishes fer somethin' nasty."

"Wow… I had no idea that being a genie was so tough."

Sweden blushed again. It hadn't been his intention to make Finland feel sorry for him, but it now occurred to him that he had been a bit of a downer.

"If it makes you feel any better," Finland began again softly, "I promise that I won't make you do anything awful."

He looked up at Sweden with an encouraging little smile that made the genie's chest clench. Though he had been lied to by previous masters before, Sweden couldn't help wanting to believe him. His master's sweet smile was so kind and reassuring that Sweden was pretty sure he would have ended up trusting Finland even if he hadn't wanted to.

"Hey Sve," Finland began, interrupting Sweden's musing. "Do genies have wishes?"

"Mm," Sweden confirmed.

"If you could grant yourself a wish, what would it be?"

The genie felt his face warming. He had certainly thought on that topic before plenty of times. In his mind's eye, he saw a new sort of life for himself, one of open skies, fresh air, and… But no, he couldn't admit it. It was too embarrassing. Besides, it wasn't like he could ever have that kind of life anyway. Even if he hadn't been too shy to talk about it, it was too painful to remind himself of the dream that he'd cherished for so long and that he would likely never attain.

"Sve?"

"…'M 'mbarr'ssed," he mumbled.

Finland studied Sweden's brightly blushing cheeks with curiosity and wonder. That kind of expression was one he'd never expected to see on the stoic genie's face. It was kind of breathtaking, to be honest. Finland fancied himself an up and coming artist, and seeing such a vulnerable, shy look on Sweden's normally composed (if intimidating) face made Finland want to sketch it. He began to plan out the angle and the composition in his head before he realized that he was staring and looked away hurriedly, his own cheeks going a bit pink.

"Sorry, that was a really personal question, wasn't it?" Finland realized aloud. "You don't have to tell me."

At this time, they were just entering the long-reaching, but fairly shallow forest that had been on Finland's map earlier. Part of a tree branch, most likely knocked down by the turbulent winds of the blizzard, was sticking up out of the snow. Finland crouched down and grabbed hold of the bough, pulling with all his might until it was unearthed. Finding it the ideal length and thickness for a walking stick, Finland continued through the rows of trees, using the branch to help himself along.

"But you know," Finland said slowly. "You were very generous and gave me a lot of wishes. I don't see why I couldn't use one of those wishes on you."

Sweden whipped his head around so quickly to look at Finland that it looked like he might give himself whiplash. The expression on his face was so frightening that Finland almost cried out in fear, but Sweden promptly walked right into a tree before the sound could even leave his mouth. Sweden was knocked off his feet and the snow from the branches above cascaded down on him with a muffled rumble. Finland rushed to his side as best he could with his awkward snowshoes and heavy pack, setting aside the pack and his walking stick so that he could try to help the genie up.

The snow had knocked Sweden's glasses askew, and they dangled precariously from one ear. His face glowed like the setting sun with embarrassment. How stupid and careless of him. Finland extended a hand hesitantly to help Sweden to his feet again. Sweden could see him biting his lip, the corners of which were twitching like he wanted to laugh but was holding back so that he wouldn't further injure Sweden's pride. He hesitantly accepted Finland's hand, allowing him to help him to his feet, though he didn't really need help.

"Are you ok, Sve?" Finland asked, still fighting back a little smile. "That looked like it hurt."

"Genies don' feel phys'cal pain," Sweden mumbled as he brushed himself off and straightened his glasses. He'd kept himself in a solid form after having fantasies about Finland stumbling in the snow and needing Sweden to catch him, but he'd neglected to protect himself from the dangers that being solid presented. Finland must think that he looked like an idiot.

"It was probably my fault for surprising you like that," Finland said apologetically. "I'm sorry."

Sweden shook his head, still blushing. "Jus' been a long time since any 'f m' masters offer t' use a wish on me…"

"Did I say something I shouldn't have?" Finland asked.

Sweden looked down at his feet instead of meeting Finland's gaze. "Not 'f y' meant 't."

Finland gave his hand a little squeeze, still not having released it from when he'd helped Sweden up. "I did."

If Sweden had possessed a heart, it probably would have sputtered happily right about then. He felt himself nearly overwhelmed by the desire to embrace Finland, but ordered himself not to get too carried away, or to get his hopes up. He knew from painful experience that humans didn't always follow through on their good intentions. At least three of his previous masters had promised to grant his wish only to change their minds when something they wanted more desperately occurred to them.

Finland suddenly realized that he was still holding Sweden's hand and hurriedly released it with an embarrassed chuckle and a small blush. He distracted himself from the awkwardness of the moment by picking up his walking stick again. Sweden was about to help him put his pack back on when their ears caught the sound of crunching snow and a low growl.

"Ah!" Finland pointed to something over Sweden's shoulder.

The genie spun around and found himself looking at a pure white wolf. The animal was low to the ground, its hackles raised, teeth borne in a snarl. He glanced at Finland and found him frozen with surprise. Wolves didn't often attack humans, but this one was clearly ready for a fight.

"We must've accidentally stumbled into its territory," Finland whispered. "There might be pups nearby."

"Dun think so," Sweden disagreed just as quietly. "'S mouth's foamin'."

Both of them knew that this meant it was infected with rabies. Before they could even consider forming a plan of action, the wolf lunged at Sweden, clearly deciding that the bigger of the two men was the most offensive. Sweden wasn't concerned for his own safety; as a genie, he couldn't be killed or injured. It was Finland that he was worried about. Unfortunately, he couldn't use his magic to protect Finland unless he wished for it. Sweden would have to physically stop it.

He braced himself for the impact, spreading his arms to catch the wolf. But the animal never reached him because Finland whacked it hard across the face with his walking stick. It flew back with a startled yelp, skidding on the snow and hitting a tree. For a moment, Sweden didn't think the wolf would get up again, but to his unpleasant surprise, it struggled to its feet, its eyes and teeth flashing with rage.

"Fin, look out!" Sweden shouted.

It was already too late; the wolf sprang at him, knocking him clean off his feet and crushing the air from his lungs. The smaller man had managed to get his walking stick up in time to block the animal's access to his throat, but the beast's claws tore at his coat as it chomped furiously at the wood, trying to get at him. Flecks of blood and foam and snow flew as Finland tried to maneuver his cumbersome snowshoes so that he could kick the wolf off of him.

Sweden knew he needed to come to Finland's aid. He raced into the fray, aiming a kick at the wolf. Unfortunately, its position shifted in the struggle and he didn't end up catching it nearly as hard as he'd hoped to. It was still enough to infuriate the wolf further. It leapt off of Finland and was just about to tackle Sweden, when he aimed another kick at it that forced it to change directions to avoid being hit.

It scampered off to the side, trying to get around behind Sweden and get a running start at him. The beast was charging him and springing, but Sweden was ready, preparing to whip around and punch it in the gut. His plan was foiled again, however, when Finland suddenly dived in between them, holding his walking stick out like a spear. The wolf perceived this sudden development too late to change direction again. The sharp point of the stick caught its soft underbelly. Finland let go of the stick and dropped to his knees, panting as the creature keeled over with an anguished keening sound. Sweden paid the incapacitated creature little mind; he needed to know that Finland was ok.

Sweden dropped to his knees at Finland's side. The man's breath was harsh and ragged, and his coat was torn and bloody. Sweden helped him sit up as he checked him over frantically for any sign that the wolf had bitten him.

"Fin! Y' ok? Did it bitecha?" He demanded.

Finland shook his head, still breathing hard. "I jammed my walking stick in its mouth so it couldn't bite me, but it scratched me pretty good."

Sweden pushed the tattered shreds of Finland's coat aside, checking the wounds on his chest and shoulder. Thankfully, they were quite shallow; it seemed that Finland's many layers of clothing had saved him again. His wounds should still be treated, though, as soon as possible to prevent them from becoming infected.

"Wish fer me t' heal ya," Sweden said.

"I'm fine," Finland insisted. "I just need a little salve and some bandages."

Growing frustrated with Finland's conservational use of wishes even in a situation like this, Sweden seized the pack that had been abandoned during the fight and began rummaging through it for medical supplies. Why had Finland put his life in danger to help Sweden when Sweden was virtually indestructible? Finland could have been killed.

His temper rose as he jerked out the roll of bandages and little jar of medicinal salve at last. Finland quailed at the fearsome expression on Sweden's face. The genie plunked down next to Finland, fixing him with a disapproving glare as he uncorked the salve jar.

"Ohyaaaaaa!" Finland cried in terror at the force of the anger radiating from Sweden. "Wh-what is it? Why're you so angry?"

"Y' could've died jus' now trying t' save someone who didn't need savin'!" Sweden rumbled, his body starting to unconsciously revert back into its towering smoky form in his anger and worry. "Genies can't be killed by somethin' like that! Why didn'tcha make a wish? That wolf almost tore y' 'part!"

"I-I'm s-s-sorry!" Finland stammered. "I just… I-it really looked like you were in d-danger so I kind of forgot for a moment that you're a genie! I-I know now that it was stupid, and I sh-should've made a wish, but there wasn't time to think! I… I was just worried about you! Jeez, I'm sorry! Please stop turning all smoky and glaring at me!"

Sweden regained his human form abruptly. He felt kind of guilty now for ever having thought it, but he'd half expected Finland to mention something about having defended him to prevent his chance of having future wishes granted from being killed. True, some of his previous masters might have done something like that, but Finland had never given Sweden any reason to think that there was a single selfish bone in his body.

Sweden's cold fury rushed out to be filled with a strange cocktail of shame, joy, and affection. He honestly couldn't remember ever having been cared about because of who he was as a person rather than what he could do. Yes, Finland had been reckless and stupid, but he'd honestly thought that Sweden was going to be killed. Sweden bowed his head to hide his embarrassment and began to dab salve gently onto Finland's wounds.

"Jus' don't do it 'gain," he mumbled, patting Finland's uninjured shoulder in an awkward expression of gratitude. "Last thing I want's fer y' t' get hurt b'cause 'f me."

"Yes, I'm sorry," Finland repeated.

If Finland didn't stop being so sweet and wonderful, Sweden was going to pass from shallow infatuation into full-blown love.

* * *

><p>They arrived in Pohjola a bit earlier than they'd expected. After Finland had been injured, Sweden had insisted on carrying him the rest of the way on his back.<p>

"I wasn't hurt that badly, Sve," Finland had insisted. "I can walk on my own, really!"

But Sweden would have none of it. He felt at least partially responsible for Finland's injuries and wanted to ensure that nothing else happened to him on the last leg of the journey. At last Finland had given in and climbed awkwardly onto Sweden's back. Finland's arms curled carefully around his neck, his legs hooked around Sweden's waist. Sweden, unhindered by human restraints like stamina, had been able to get them there much more quickly.

When they'd reached the outskirts of town, Sweden had allowed Finland to walk the rest of the way on his own at Finland's insistence. Noticing that Finland's coat was still shredded and bloody, he removed his own coat, a garment that was purely for show since genies weren't perturbed by things like temperature, and draped it around Finland's shoulders.

It was too large for him and nearly dragged on the ground when he walked, but it was better than giving people a strange impression of him when he greeted his new neighbors in bloody tatters. Something about seeing Finland in his clothes made Sweden's chest clench joyfully, but he managed to keep himself under control. But damn if Finland didn't look extra huggable in that oversized coat.

"Now that we're 'n th' city, better not tell anyone 'm a genie," Sweden advised quietly. "Some 'o my other masters bragged 'bout havin' a genie 'n' people killed 'em and stole me fer themselves. Don' want that t' happ'n t' ya."

"I see… yeah, we wouldn't want that," Finland agreed. "How shall we introduce you, then?"

Sweden blushed. "Could say 'm yer h'sband."

"What?" Finland's cheeks pinked. "C'mon Sve, I was being serious!"

"Friends, then?" he suggested.

Finland considered that. "Well, at least that one's true. Let's do that, then."

Sweden was tempted to point out that friends were allowed to hold hands, but he held his tongue as the two of them ventured deeper into the town.

Finland looked around. So this was Pohjola. It wasn't a large city, but it was a decent bit bigger than the village where Finland had grown up. It was by no means deserted, and there was certainly no lack of energy. There were people in fur-lined coats milling around, going about their shopping, chatting, and eating, seeming completely unperturbed by the cold.

Two little girls passing him and Sweden giggled at some private joke, their golden pigtails bouncing as they helped their blonde, bespectacled mother carry the shopping home. A cheerful and animated blond, green-eyed man with a bright red coat that looked an awful lot like a woman's was trying to attract customers to his roasted chestnut stand. His equally long-haired partner, a more reserved but still pleasant looking fellow with dark hair, served the customers that they had managed to draw.

On Finland's left was a small but stylish tailor shop with eye-catching, brightly colored clothing displayed in the windows. Inside, a man with shoulder length wavy blond hair and a little scruffy beard was taking the measurements of a dark skinned young woman with long brown pigtails. The tailor lifted her arm to measure it and kissed the back of her hand with a flirtatious grin, causing her to blush and swat at him in punishment. Far from being discouraged, the tailor just laughed as he continued his work.

To Finland's right, a little pub was doing a decent bit of business, serving drinks and lunch. The tantalizing scent of tomatoes and spices and fresh baking bread drifted from it, along with the rollicking melody of a drinking song. If he looked in through the window, he could see a stern, muscular man with slicked back blond hair serving drinks from behind the counter, while a giggling auburn-haired man with a single stubborn curl sticking out from the side served piping hot food to the customers at the tables.

"I think I'm going to like this place," Finland said with a grin.

"Jus' stay close," Sweden warned. "Don' wantcha gettin' lost."

They ended up heading to the pub for lunch. Finland was very eager to find out what kind of foods they might be serving that could produce such tantalizing aromas. It certainly didn't smell like anything he'd ever tasted before. A wave of warmth and casual chatter greeted them as they entered the pub. A good-looking young man with olive skin, wavy brown hair and green eyes greeted them with a lazy smile.

"Heya!" He greeted them informally. "Who d'we have here? You two don't look familiar; you visitors?"

"Actually we've just moved here," Finland replied pleasantly, "though we haven't quite found a place to stay yet."

"Ooh, newcomers, eh?" the man said approvingly, flashing Finland a brilliantly white smile. "Well, nice to meetcha! I'm Spain! That grumpy-looking muscly guy working at the bar is Germany; he also runs the brewery with his brother Prussia. The cute little guy wandering around serving food is Italy, and my beloved Romano, Italy's older brother, is our chef. Be sure to ask us if you have any questions about the town. Since we run a pub, we end up getting a lot of useful info from our customers, so we're pretty well informed about what goes on around here."

"Well thank you very much!" Finland said gratefully. "I'm Finland, by the way, and this is my friend Sweden. I hope we can be friends too."

"Sure, sure," Spain said amicably. "Let me start by grabbing you a table and a couple of menus. I hate to let friends go hungry."

He snatched two menus and led them to a table near the fireplace. Finland knew that Sweden didn't get tired, but he for one was glad to be able to sit down at last. Spain motioned to Italy who came and filled their water glasses.

"This is Finland and Sweden, Ita," Spain told him. "They're just moving into town!"

"Ve," Italy said, looking nervously at Sweden. "N-nice to meet you."

"Why don't we give 'em some free garlic bread as a welcoming gift?" Spain suggested with a wink. "How's that sound?"

"Are you sure it's ok?" Finland asked. "We'd really appreciate it."

"No problem!" Italy said, saluting. "I'll be right back with that. Take your time and pick something yummy from the menu, ok?"

"Thank you very much!" Finland said.

Finland decided as he finished off his delicious cheese-filled noodles in tomato sauce that he had found himself a new haunt. The friendly service and wonderful, affordable food would surely lure him back again. Sweden, who didn't technically need to eat or drink, had allowed Finland to order him a beer after Finland had insisted that he didn't mind buying Sweden something.

Finland still had a hard time reading Sweden, but he was pretty sure that Sweden had enjoyed his drink as much as Finland had enjoyed his food because he went up to the bar to compliment Germany on his wonderful custom brew. When Sweden had glanced back at their table and seen Finland immersed in pleasant conversation with Spain and Italy, he had elected to stay at the bar to speak with Germany some more.

"So have you had a chance to decide what part of town you might like to live in?" Spain asked Finland.

"Not yet," Finland admitted. "We literally just got into town, so I haven't really looked around too much. But I was hoping to find some work here too. Do either of you happen to know of anyone who's hiring right now?"

Italy and Spain looked at each other thoughtfully.

"I think England was looking for some new laborers for his shipyard," Italy recalled.

"Cuba wanted another farmhand.. but that's kind of a seasonal job, isn't it?"

"Oh, America said he needed someone to help design toys for his toyshop."

"Hold on, that designing job sounds interesting," Finland said. "I like drawing."

"That might be a good place for you then," Spain said. "America and I don't agree on a lot of things, but he's not a bad guy most of the time."

"Most of the time, huh?" Finland repeated a little apprehensively.

"It's not really anything to worry about," Spain assured him. "He's just the kind of guy who thinks he's great at everything even though he's just a punk kid who still does dumb stuff sometimes. If he gets too bratty, a good knee attack usually puts him back in his place."

"Wait, just how young is America?" Finland asked.

"Nineteen!" Italy piped. "A year younger than me!"

"I see," Finland said slowly. "I wonder if I should go ask him about that job."

"Go for it!" Italy urged. "I've always thought it would be really cool to work in a toyshop. I would cuddle up with all those teddy bears and take a nice, long siesta, ve~"

"If I remember right, I think he even said he'd offer the guy who went to work for him a place to stay, too," Spain informed him. "You could kill two birds with one stone."

"That does sound tempting," Finland agreed. "I guess I'll go tell him I'm interested and see what he says. Any chance you might be able to draw me a map to his place?"

"Leave it to me!" Italy said with a salute. "I'll make it nice and easy to understand so you won't get lost."

"You two have really been helpful," Finland said with a grateful smile. "I really appreciate it. If there's any way I can repay your hospitality, please let me know."

"Just promise to eat here when you can and we can call it even," Spain replied.

"Deal," Finland said, shaking Spain's hand.

* * *

><p>Finland ended up asking Spain if he could use the back room of the pub to change his clothes. Sweden's coat was nice and warm and all, but he wanted to dress in something that actually fit him when he was going to meet a potential employer. Sweden looked faintly disappointed when Finland handed his coat back to him, but he slipped it back on without a word, complaint or otherwise. The two of them left the pub together, and Finland filled Sweden in on what he had found out from Spain and Italy and about his plans to seek employment at the toyshop.<p>

"You seemed to be enjoying yourself, talking to Mr. Germany," Finland commented pleasantly.

"Mm, 'e seems like a good guy," Sweden confirmed. "'N' we've got a lot 'o stuff 'n common."

"Really?" Finland asked. "What kind of stuff?"

"Both like beer, dogs, 'n' buildin' stuff," Sweden said. "'E gave me some o' his exper'mental brew fer free."

"How nice! I guess we both made new friends," Finland remarked. "I'm glad."

The two of them passed through the town square, turning left at the courthouse like Italy's map said. They had just passed the bathhouse (Finland made a note to check that out later, hoping they had a sauna there), when Sweden spotted it on their right. He pointed it out to Finland with a little nudge.

It looked like a nice enough place. The windows were nicely cleaned, the sign painted a vibrant red, white, and blue, and the window front was full of activity and color, warm golden light from the lamps inside washing over the display to give it a homey, inviting touch. Finland and Sweden ventured closer to check out the display, intrigued by the motion they could see going on inside.

There was a little black train chugging along a loop of track at a leisurely pace that entranced Finland. How was it moving? He had heard tales of powerful magicians living in Pohjola in the past. Perhaps it was run by magic? Finland made a note to ask America about it when they met.

Some delicate looking dollies sat off to the side of the train display having a tea party near a well-crafted ballerina puppet. Off to the other side sat a selection of teddy bears of different colors, satin ribbons tied around their necks, their eyes glittering in the lamplight. In the back were a battalion of tin soldiers, frozen in strange positions, as if they had been moving at one point. The center of the display was devoted to a collection of odd looking figures in heroic positions with gaudy costumes.

"Wow, this is amazing," Finland breathed in wonder. "I've never seen toys like these before."

"'D like t' get a closer look at th' puppet," Sweden said. "'S some good craftsm'nship there."

Their conversation was interrupted by the gentle tinkling of bells as the toyshop's door was pushed open. A young girl with thick eyebrows and curly brown pigtails emerged, carrying a box under her arm, accompanied by a tall, burly man with a cowlick, a bandage across his nose and similarly thick eyebrows.

"Thanks a lot, mate," the bandage-nosed man called over his shoulder. "Really appreciate the discount."

"Don't worry about it, man," said a glasses-wearing blond teen who had appeared behind them to hold open the door. "A hero's gotta do what he can to make a little lady's birthday special."

The girl with the pigtails blushed, clutching the box closer when the blond boy winked at her. "I-it's not like I needed this. My big, dumb brother just wouldn't be quiet until I let him buy me a present. I'm not a child or anything."

The blond boy just laughed loudly at her contrariness. "Yeah, yeah, I get it. Man, you really are England's cousin, huh?"

"That was Wyze for 'thanks very much'," the girl's older brother assured the blond boy. "C'mon now, Wy. Time for cake!"

The girl allowed herself to be ushered away, even as she insisted that she didn't understand why he was making her have a cake on her birthday. The blond boy saw Sweden and Finland watching the exchange curiously and flashed them a brilliant smile.

"You don't have to stand out here where it's freezing," he urged. "Come inside, there's even more awesome stuff in here!"

"Are you by any chance America?" Finland asked as he approached the door.

"The one and only!" he confirmed with a thumbs-up. "Let's talk inside. I hate the cold."

Finland considered mentioning that America had picked a strange place to live if he hated the cold, but he didn't want to bicker with the person he hoped would be giving him a job, so he kept it to himself.

The inside of the toyshop was no less impressive and inviting than the outside. Two little boys seemed to be trying to pool their pocket money to buy a model of a strange-looking contraption with wings, the likes of which Finland had never seen before. A young girl was attempting to persuade her mother to purchase her an elaborately painted music box. The bright golden lamps that kept the place lit were accompanied by a soft tinkling melody that seemed to come from everywhere and yet nowhere in particular. The whole place screamed of magic and childish enchantment.

"So, what can I do for you?" America asked. The smile on his face had grown a bit smug at their obvious wonderment.

"Right, um, I'm Finland, and this is my friend Sweden," Finland said.

"Nice to meet ya!" America chirped.

"It's nice to meet you, too," Finland replied cordially. "We've just moved to town and we heard from Spain and Italy at the pub that you were looking to hire someone to design toys for you."

"Oh! Awesome! That's great!" America exclaimed. "I was starting to get desperate! I mean, I'm really good at designing stuff like hero toys and flying machine models, but I wanna have stuff for the girls, too, y'know? I just don't have any ideas for that kind of stuff."

"I think I can handle that," Finland said with a confident smile. "I'm pretty good at drawing cute things."

"Perfect! Just what I need, seriously," America said. "You got any sketches you can show me? I gotta know that you can deliver, y'know?"

While Finland and America discussed business, Sweden decided to get a closer look at the ballerina marionette he'd seen in the front window. He lifted one of the shapely limbs carefully. Judging by the texture and weight, he guessed that it was made of lime wood. The paint was a bit faded and flaking in some places, revealing its age, but he could tell that it had been made with love and a great deal of skill.

Sweden glanced around a shelf at America. The marionette looked too old to have been made by him. He wondered if America imported toys to sell at his store. In any case, Sweden would love to meet the person who had crafted it. He considered himself to be a pretty skilled woodworker, and even he thought it was impressive.

The genie suddenly noticed that he wasn't the only one examining the window display. Standing outside was a little boy of perhaps eleven or so, his nose pressed against the glass, eying the hero figurines covetously. He was dressed in a ragged old coat, his hands bare and red in the cold, his golden hair overgrown, limp, and greasy under his grubby cap, and it looked as though he hadn't had a bath or a decent meal in quite some time. Sweden doubted very much whether the boy would be able to scrape together the cash to buy any of those figurines any time soon.

The boy realized that Sweden was watching him, his conspicuous eyebrows shooting upward behind his bangs. He gave Sweden a nervous, yet cheeky grin before dashing off into an alley and out of sight. Sweden wondered if the boy thought he was going to tell on him just for looking at the toys. It had to be because of his forbidding-looking face. He sighed regretfully.

"Sve? Where did he go?"

Sweden was jerked out of his musings by the sound of Finland calling to him. He rejoined his master at the front of the store. Finland smiled brightly up at him.

"I got the job!" he exclaimed.

Sweden patted Finland's shoulder. "Congrats."

"Thanks!"

"I can show you the guest room now if you want," America offered.

"If it's not too much trouble," Finland said.

"Sure, no prob," America assured him. "Hey Leich! Watch the store for me for a sec, 'kay?"

"Yes, sir!" A young female voice called from somewhere in the depths of the store.

"This way, then," America said, motioning them in the direction of the backroom. "Don't expect too much of it, though; it's not that big or nice. But it _does_ have a fireplace."

"As long as it's sturdy and keeps the cold out, it's good enough for us," Finland chirped.

Sweden watched the cheerful expression on his master's face with a tiny smile of his own, glad that things seemed to finally be looking up for Finland.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **Pohjola is a place from Finnish mythology. It's described as a gloomy, swampy place full of powerful evil sorcerers, but I wasn't trying to write that kind of story, so I altered it for my own purposes. I hope that wasn't too major a liberty to take.

Can you tell from my inclusion of Germany/Sweden friendship that I've been wanting a fic about those two being buddies for the longest time? Because I have. I don't suppose any of you guys can rec one?


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Hey guys, sorry for the long wait for this chapter. College graduation, writer's block, two overseas moves, and a new job happened, and it was tough to find time for writing. Things have settled down a bit now, but… is anyone still interested in this story? I hope so. Enjoy!

* * *

><p>The room was dark when America unlocked it so Finland couldn't immediately see what it looked like, but a musty scent rushed out to meet him.<p>

"Ugh, maybe I should've thought about cleaning this place before I promised it to anyone," America mumbled, fanning the stale air away from his face. "My bad."

He fished a book of matches from his pocket and lit a candle that was sitting on the desk. Finland squinted through the gloom, trying to make out his new home in more detail, but it was still too dark to really see anything. He glanced briefly at Sweden, wondering if his magical eyes were more powerful than his own. Finland had hoped to find some clue as to what he could expect based on his expression, but the genie's face was as impassive as ever.

America picked up the candle he had just lit and crossed to the other side of the room to open the wooden shutters on the single window so that the place was bright enough to see. A distasteful silence hung like a haze in the air as the three of them surveyed the place. It was a bit bigger than Finland had expected, but America hadn't been kidding when he told them it wasn't going to be that nice. Well, perhaps that was an unfair assessment. It looked like it might have been nice once, long ago, but it had since fallen into a state of disrepair.

There was a thick layer of dust covering everything, and floating lazily in the air around them. Most of the furniture seemed to be made out of wood, and some of it, like one of the legs on the bed and two of the table's legs, had broken and would need to be repaired before it could be used. The fireplace had a mountain of ashes piled up in it, some of which had spilled out onto the floor, and the sheets on the bed were ratty and moldy.

"Geez, it's in even worse shape than I expected," America remarked. "But it _has_ been, like… ten years since anyone used it. And hey, it's free as long as you're working here, so that's good, right?"

"Well, I'm sure it'll be fine once we've cleaned the place up a little," Finland said, though he was still trying to convince himself. "Right, Sve?"

"Mm," Sweden grunted in agreement.

"Awesome!" America said, flashing them a nearly blinding smile. "Well, I'd love to help you clean and stuff, but I better get back to the store. Never know when we might suddenly get busy out there. Cleaning supplies are in this closet here, and I dunno what you plan to do about this furniture…"

"I c'n fix it," Sweden said confidently.

"You can use stuff from my workshop out back, then," America offered. "There's wood and tools out there. Just put everything back when you're done and don't touch any of my metalworking stuff, ok? It's all organized just how I like it."

"Hn," Sweden consented.

"Cool," America said. "Well, good luck, then."

Finland gave the room another forlorn once over as America strode past him on his way back to the shop. He was grateful that he had found a free place to stay; it would just take some work before the place was livable. By the looks of it, it would take them the better part of the day to clean. Sweden was fixing the furniture so he wouldn't have to buy replacements, but they needed new candles, firewood, and bedding at the very least.

"What do you think, Sve?" Finland asked. "I think with a little work, it might actually turn out to be a pretty nice place."

"Mm, we c'n do it," Sweden replied encouragingly. "'ll help ya."

"Is it ok, even if I don't make a wish?" Finland asked.

"Genies c'n choose t' help their masters in non-magical ways 'f they want," Sweden explained. "J'st most 'f us choose not t'."

"Why's that?"

"Humans c'n be pretty selfish 'n' bloodthirsty with their wishin'. Makes us not feel like helpin'."

"I suppose I can understand that," Finland mused.

"But yer different," Sweden mumbled. His cheeks reddened, and he made a weak attempt at hiding it by staring at the wall instead. "Don't mind helpin' ya."

Finland gave him a sunny smile. "Well, thank you for making an exception for me, Sve."

Ah, how wonderfully that expression was suited to Finland's face. Sweden could look at that smile all day, and never grow tired of it. He just wished he could tell Finland how much he liked it, or express his approval in some way, but he was too embarrassed. The genie's face grew hotter as he imagined himself stealing a little kiss from those smiling lips. Sweden thought he saw his master's face start to go a bit pink, probably from being stared at, but before he could be sure, Finland turned his back on him and clapped his hands together loudly.

"Shall we get started, then?" he asked. "We've got a lot of work ahead of us, but if we're quick, we might be able to finish early enough to hit the bathhouse before it closes!"

Sweden stared at Finland in shock. "…Bathhouse?"

"There was one on the map that I got from Italy, and I've been dying for a sauna visit," Finland explained brightly. "You don't mind, do you?"

That was a bit of a tricky question. Of course he wanted to do whatever would make Finland happy, but visiting the bathhouse together seemed like an awfully intimate activity for two people who were just getting to know each other. If it had been anyone other than Finland, Sweden probably wouldn't have given the matter so much thought. If Finland weren't so cute, and amazing, and completely likeable, and if Sweden weren't so shy, and awkward, and completely infatuated with him, it wouldn't have been such an uncomfortable request. He doubted whether Finland was worried about any of these things, though. Finland was surely only thinking of how nice it would be to relax after a hard day.

Finland turned around at last to meet Sweden's gaze again, wondering why he wasn't responding. He shrank back from the startled expression on Sweden's face with a squeak of fear.

"I-I mean, not that you have to come if you don't want to, but you're certainly welcome to join me," Finland stammered. "I won't be offended or anything if you'd rather not."

He wanted to go with Finland, he really did. It was just that… Sweden swallowed hard, trying not to imagine Finland lounging at his side in the steamy sauna, relaxed and content and completely nude, but it was proving to be incredibly difficult. He wasn't sure he could trust himself not to stare at Finland's undoubtedly beautiful body. _Don't think about it,_ he told himself. _Don't picture him that way_. The last thing he wanted was to compromise Finland's dignity. But Finland was still waiting for his answer, so Sweden thought he ought to just turn him down politely. He had to do it nice and easy, in such a way that let Finland know that he wasn't opposed to doing other things with him, simply that this was out of his comfort-

"I'll go with ya," he heard himself agree. Well, so much for that plan.

"Great!" Finland said with a relieved smile that filled Sweden's chest with a fluttering sensation. "I'll start with the dusting, then. Let's whip this place into shape!"

Sweden nodded numbly. "'ll start fixin' this furniture."

The two of them parted ways to gather the necessary supplies, Sweden still kicking himself for blurting out the wrong thing.

* * *

><p>Sweden was so wrapped up in carving minute details in the new chair leg he had made (because where adorable Finland was concerned, it wasn't enough that he merely fixed the broken bits; Sweden wanted it to be beautiful for him) that it took a while for him to realize that his ears were being treated to a soft, flowing melody. He looked up from his work curiously. Finland was polishing the dingy little window with a wet rag, humming as he cleaned.<p>

Sweden's grip on his tools slackened. Finland's regular speaking voice was pleasant, but it had in no way prepared him for the quality of his singing voice. Sweden's mind felt blissfully blank and his heart soared. The quiet, absentminded swells of wordless song made him feel as though he would do anything Finland asked of him, even if he weren't obligated to grant Finland's requests.

The genie didn't even realize that his hands were no longer moving until Finland turned around, finished cleaning the window, and shrank back nervously at the fixed stare Sweden was aiming at him. Sweden shook his head slightly and blinked himself out of his stupor, his cheeks warming over the fact that Finland had caught him staring.

"Y' like singin'?" Sweden asked, trying to alleviate the awkwardness of the situation.

Finland's eyes widened slightly. "…What makes you ask that?"

"You were hummin'," Sweden said.

"W-was I?" Finland frowned, his hand drifting to his throat distractedly. "I didn't even notice."

"Sounded nice," Sweden mumbled, averting his gaze to the chair leg he had been carving. "Wouldn't mind hearin' s'me more."

"Ah… Sorry, but I don't sing anymore."

Sweden looked up at Finland, but his master's eyes were fixed on the window he'd just cleaned. The weak, gray winter light peering through the clouds made Finland's skin look ghostly white, and for a moment he appeared tired, pained, and significantly older. The change was a startling one, and it made Sweden want to coax him away from the window so that he wouldn't have to see him looking like that.

"Why not?" Sweden asked softly.

Finland fiddled with the rag in his hand, his bangs falling into his eyes. "The last time I sang was for a few friends… they didn't really like it."

"Y' stopped b'cause 'f that?" That didn't make much sense to Sweden.

"Mm… Well, if someone had sung that song to me, I wouldn't have liked it either," Finland said cryptically. "It was a bad choice."

Sweden felt like he was missing something here, but Finland was gathering up the moldy sheets from the bed as if he were feeling that the topic had grown old.

"I think I'll see if I can buy some new sheets," Finland said in a manner that almost seemed airy, but not quite. "I'll be back soon."

The genie watched him leave, wondering what had just happened.

* * *

><p>Finland was mostly silent throughout the rest of the day as the two of them cleaned together. It was a discomfiting change from the way Finland's cheerful chatter usually filled what was now a very long and uncomfortable quiet. And of course there was no more humming. Sweden wished he hadn't mentioned it. He wondered if he'd made Finland upset somehow by bringing up that topic. The genie glanced up at Finland from the table he was fixing. Finland's face was impassive and smudged with grime where he'd wiped the perspiration from his cheek with a dirty hand.<p>

Sweden wished he could break the silence, but conversation had never been his strong point. What if he tried to talk to Finland about something and accidentally stumbled upon another one of the "forbidden topics" that made Finland look so sad. There seemed to be quite a few of them, and he had already inadvertently brought up two of them just today. Perhaps it was better if he just kept his mouth shut.

By mid-evening after a quick dinner break, their room was starting to look like an actual living space. Finland set aside his mop and put his hands on his hips, surveying the fruits of their labors.

"Phew! Looks like we really made some progress today, huh?" he remarked, smiling for the first time in hours. "I think we might even be able to call it done!"

"Mm," Sweden grunted in agreement.

"Good thing, too," Finland sighed, leaning against the wall. "I'm tired. I can't wait to get to the sauna."

Sweden had a sudden mental image of himself and Finland in the bath together, Finland leaning against him sleepily as Sweden helped him get washed up. His face reddening, he cleared his throat nervously and looked up at the ceiling. _No, no. Don't imagine things like that, _he scolded himself. _It'll never happen anyway._

"Never been t' a sauna b'fore," Sweden mumbled.

"Really?" Finland asked brightly. "You're in for a treat, then! They're great after a long day. Come on, let's get going before it gets too late."

Sweden lent Finland his coat again as Finland's was in bloody tatters after their earlier encounter with the wolf, and the two of them opened the door that connected their room with the toyshop. Finland let out a little yelp of surprise when he found himself almost nose-to-nose with America. The younger boy jumped as well, equally startled by the fact that the door had swung open so suddenly.

"Jeez man!" America sighed, clutching his chest. "You scared the crap outta me!"

"Sorry, we were just about to head to the sauna," Finland explained.

"Perfect timing, then," America said, reaching into his pocket and fishing around for something. He pulled out an iron key and held it out to Finland. "I just closed shop, so you'll need this to get in and out. Just don't forget to lock up again when you leave and when you come back, and don't lose the key, ok? That would be bad news…"

He trailed off, standing up on his tiptoes and peered curiously into his employee's room over Finland's shoulder.

"Hey, you guys really got it done today," he whistled, clearly impressed. "You even managed to get all that furniture fixed. Mind if I have a quick look?"

"Oh, uh… sure," Finland agreed as America squeezed past them without really waiting for their answer.

America squatted down to examine the new legs Sweden had put on the table. He ran his fingers thoughtfully over the intricately carved surface, admiring Sweden's handy work.

"Dude, did you do this all yourself?" America asked, glancing over his shoulder at the genie.

Sweden nodded.

"That's kickass!" America said. "Holy shit! It woulda taken me days to finish something like that, and it still wouldn't look half as good. I'm impressed, man."

"Oh wow, he's right!" Finland agreed in amazement, joining America in their room. "I forgot to have a look at them, but these are amazing! Thank you for putting so much effort into making them look nice!"

Sweden shrugged, trying to look nonchalant, even though his cheeks pinked at the flattery. "Always liked workin' with m' hands."

"Hey, you wouldn't be looking for a job, would you?" America asked, straightening up again. "I can work with wood when I have to, but I'm really an inventions and metal kinda guy, and you seem like you really know what you're doing."

Sweden had never considered it before, but he supposed it might be fun. He did like children after all, and this way he could earn extra money to help Finland out. It wouldn't hurt that they'd also be working together. Sweden nodded. "Sure."

"Awesome, that's what I like to hear," America said with a grin as he headed back towards the door. "You guys'll start tomorrow then, ok? Have fun at the sauna."

"We will, thank you," Finland replied.

The toyshop owner headed the opposite way down the back hallway presumably toward his own room, and Finland led the way through the front entrance of the shop and into the cold, dark outdoors. Sweden waited while Finland locked the store up again, and once he was done, Finland rounded on him with an eager smile.

"I've been looking forward to this all day," he said, his voice bubbling with excitement.

Sweden kept up with Finland's smaller strides easily as his master led the way. "Y' really like the sauna."

"I sure do," Finland said. "Besides being a great place to relax, it also has all kinds of wonderful memories associated with it."

Sweden was honestly glad to hear this. With all the taboo topics he seemed to keep stumbling upon accidentally, he half expected to find that Finland had some sort of extremely dark and heartbreaking past. At least he had good memories to balance out what appeared to be a multitude of bad ones. Perhaps this would be a safe lead-in to some less sensitive personal questions. The genie was very interested to know more about Finland, after all.

"I used to love going into the sauna with everyone, ever since I was a kid," Finland said with a wistful smile.

"Ever'one?" Sweden asked.

"My family," Finland clarified. "My two brothers and I would go a few times a week, and my parents too, when they were around. But they were merchants who specialized in foreign goods, so they were gone a lot."

Sweden had a sudden mental image of Finland and his two brothers, both of whom were identical to Finland in Sweden's head, laughing and talking amicably together in the sauna. It was a rather adorable image, the genie thought.

"And when my parents were gone, it would be me, my brothers, and my older brother's friend," Finland continued softly. "We used to stay in there until so late hanging out and talking that my nanny would have to come and shoo us all out and scold us for staying up past our bedtimes."

"Sounds fun," Sweden commented.

"Mm." Finland tilted his head back, fixing his eyes on the stars, a tiny, sad, nostalgic smile on his lips. "…Ah, I'm sorry. I'm probably boring you, aren't I?"

Sweden shook his head earnestly. "'S int'restin'."

"Really?" Finland gave him a look that clearly said he thought Sweden was just humoring him, but that he appreciated it anyway. Sweden wanted to let him know that he really was interested, but didn't know how to say so without sounding creepy. "Well… I don't suppose there's much point in thinking about it. We'll never be able to go to the sauna together again anyway."

Sweden sensed that they were entering into shaky, possibly depressing territory again and quickly backed off, not wanting to ruin Finland's previously good mood. "Sorry…"

"I mean, it's not as if they're dead or anything, so theoretically we could, but…" Finland trailed off with a sigh. "It's complicated."

The genie said nothing, too busy processing what he had learned, trying to piece together the evidence he had gathered in hopes of gaining an idea about the source of Finland's pain on his own. So far what he knew was that Finland had been travelling alone for five years, someone was dead, but apparently not someone from his immediate family, that he had somehow upset some friends with his singing and had since given it up, and that he seemed to feel that he couldn't go home. Sweden frowned. He honestly couldn't see how these things added up, but he was willing to bet it was a hell of a story.

"I'm sorry," Finland said out of the blue, dragging Sweden back to the present.

Sweden cocked his head curiously, wondering what Finland was apologizing for.

"You must be thinking that I'm depressing," Finland continued. "I keep letting myself get all moody today."

"Wasn't thinkin' that," Sweden assured him. He hesitated, wondering if he should follow that reassurance up with his true thoughts, because Finland looked like he wasn't sure he believed him. It was embarrassing, but he wanted Finland to know that he was genuinely interested in what he had to say, that he'd like to help him overcome his pain, that he wanted to be available if Finland ever felt that he needed someone to turn to for whatever reason. "Jus' sorry I keep makin' y' remember th' bad stuff… Not tryin' t'…"

"I know, I…" Finland sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "I don't mean to be so mysterious. I'd love it if I didn't have to keep secrets anymore. Sometimes I think it would be better to just tell someone and get it off my chest, but then I keep remembering the way they looked at me… Never mind. I'm rambling again."

Finland's voice was so tired and strained as he said this that Sweden felt the need to reach out and reassure him somehow. He patted Finland's shoulder uncertainly, hoping that he wasn't being too forward. Finland looked up at him, his violet eyes shining in the flickering lights of the gas street lamps, his steps slowing, but he didn't pull away. It almost looked as though he'd been waiting for a reassuring touch for a long time but hadn't known where to turn, but perhaps that was just Sweden's wishful thinking.

"'F y' feel like talkin'," the genie mumbled, blushing, "I'd listen without judgin'."

Finland looked down at his feet, shuffling uncomfortably. "…It would be nice if that were possible…"

An uneasy silence stretched out between them, until Finland turned his head, looking a short ways up the street, and said "There's the bathhouse."

Sweden withdrew his hand hesitantly and let Finland lead him to the door of the bathhouse, feeling slightly disappointed, though he knew he didn't have a right to feel that way. Whatever was on Finland's mind was obviously something really heavy, and really personal. He couldn't honestly expect Finland to spill his guts to him when they were just getting to know each other.

Finland was just reaching out to grasp the door by the handle when a dark figure darted out of the manicured bushes surrounding the establishment and weaseled itself in between Finland's hand and the door handle. Finland let out a gasp of surprise, and Sweden instinctively wrapped an arm around Finland's waist, hauling him backwards and behind him so that he could protect him if the need arose.

"Ha ha! Thought you could get in without paying your dues to the bathhouse guardian, did you? I don't think so!"

Now that Sweden had had time to process what was going on, he realized that the dark figure was a ratty-looking little boy in a blue hat and gray cloak. To be more specific, it was the same boy he'd seen hanging around outside the toyshop earlier that day admiring the hero figurines in the window. Sweden let out a sigh of relief; the boy only just came up past his waist and was hardly a threat.

"Bathhouse guardian?" Finland repeated questioningly.

"Yup, that's me, Master Sealand, mighty guardian of the bathhouse," the boy said proudly. "You'll have to acknowledge me and pay up if you want to get inside."

Sweden and Finland traded doubtful looks. The boy before them was a scruffy, dirty mess, and clearly hadn't bathed in weeks. There was no way he was actually employed by the bathhouse.

"Don't you think you should go home?" Finland suggested. "Your parents are probably worried."

Sealand puffed out his cheeks sullenly. "Why does everyone always say that? I'm practically an adult, you know! And I don't have parents!"

"Well, I'm sorry, but I only brought enough money to use the bath, so I don't really have anything to give you," Finland said apologetically. "You should go home. It's dangerous for children to be out after dark."

"C'mon, don't be a jerk!" Sealand demanded. "I don't have a home, and my parents are dead! Don't you feel sorry for me? I don't even need money; I just need some food. And loads of water."

Sealand's stomach chose that moment to growl loudly, and the boy doubled over in pain, clutching his empty belly. Finland glanced up at Sweden again, this time with pity in his eyes. Sweden had to admit that he felt rather badly for Sealand as well.

"Maybe we should give him something, Sve," Finland proposed. "We could go back to our room and grab something…"

"Yeah, please…" Sealand moaned. "I-I mean, you have to because it's the rules and all."

Sweden frowned, puzzled. He wondered if Finland had forgotten that he had a genie at his disposal, or if he was just trying to conserve wishes again. "Could just wish fer somethin'," he mumbled back so that Sealand couldn't hear.

"Oh, that's right!" Finland laughed at his own forgetfulness. He stood on his tiptoes so that he could whisper in Sweden's ear. "I wish for a life-time supply of food and water for this boy, and have it replenish itself as he needs it."

Sweden turned his back to Sealand before conjuring up a small tote bag. He turned back around and handed the bag to the boy.

"What's this?" Sealand asked, turning the bag in his hands.

"Op'n it," Sweden said.

Sealand reached into the bag and pulled out a large, juicy-looking roasted chicken leg. His face lit up like a summer bonfire as he rummaged in the bag and pulled out a large glass jar of water.

"J'st op'n the bag when y' get hungry," Sweden told him. "It'll keep refillin' itself."

"Thanks, Mister!" he exclaimed, ripping the lid off the jar and drinking deeply. He chomped into the chicken just as eagerly. "You must be a sorcerer, huh? Blimey, I must've tried this a hundred times and almost nobody gives me anything. Here, I'll even give you something back."

"Oh, that's ok, you don't have to…" Finland began, but Sealand wasn't listening.

He poured some water from the jar that Sweden had given him into his hands and rubbed them together before snatching the hem of Finland's borrowed coat and yanking it and Finland's shirt up to reveal his chest, which was scratched and bruised after his encounter with the wolf.

"Hey, what're you—" Finland squawked in alarm, but Sealand wasn't listening.

He swiped his wet fingers over the wounded skin, leaving tiny blue sparkles in their wake. Finland watched in stunned silence as the scratches immediately healed over and the bruises disappeared. Even Sweden was surprised. The boy certainly didn't look like a sorcerer, and he couldn't recall ever having seen a spell-casting method quite like that one.

"Th-thank you…" Finland stammered, looking at Sealand in awe.

Sealand stepped away from the bathhouse doors with a little laugh, looking rather pleased with himself.

"Have fun in the bath," he called over his shoulder as he vanished into the darkness.

Finland and Sweden watched him go silently.

"What a strange boy," Finland remarked. "I wonder why he needed to ask us for food if he can do magic."

"His magic coulda been water-based," Sweden said. "No water, no magic."

"But that was sure nice of him to heal me, wasn't it?" Finland said with a smile as he pulled open the doors. "Those scratches had been bothering me all day."

Sweden wished he could tell Finland how it had warmed his heart to see him use a wish so unhesitatingly on a needy child, but they were entering the bathhouse and it was embarrassing enough to tell Finland how he felt without other people overhearing, so he kept his mouth shut.

"Hoşgeldiniz!"

"Irasshaimase!"

The two men behind the counter called out to Sweden and Finland in greeting as they entered.

"Hello…" Finland said, sounding a little unsure of himself.

Sweden wasn't sure if it was because of the foreign greetings, or the exotic surroundings, but he felt slightly intimidated, though admittedly interested, by both. They had walked into a stone-floored entry-way, beyond which was a raised, polished wooden floor. Numerous pairs of slippers were lined up at the edge of the wooden floor, and were turned so that they seemed to be waiting for someone to step into them. The whole lobby area was done in white paneling surrounded by tasteful dark wood, and several small, well-trimmed trees sat in pots in various corners of the room. Tapestries covered in flowing foreign writing hung on the wall. Behind the polished wooden counter was deep, royal blue curtain emblazoned with a white crane that separated the back room from the rest of the lobby.

"Oho, what do we got here?" the man who had greeted them first said gleefully. "New customers?"

He was bronze-skinned, and had a scruffy beard, and a mask that hid the upper half of his face. The second man who had greeted them was shorter, equally dark-haired, and had almond-shaped eyes and a calm demeanor about him. He came out from behind the counter to address them with a bow.

"Welcome to our establishment," he said politely. "Please remove your shoes before stepping onto the wooden floor and feel free to utilize the slippers we have provided."

"You boys just passing through or are ya new in town?" the man behind the counter asked conversationally as Sweden and Finland stepped out of their shoes and into the slippers.

"We just moved in today," Finland replied. "Maybe you know America? He's letting us stay in the spare room in the back of his toyshop since we're going to be working there."

"Well hell, you guys are our neighbors then, ain'tcha? I'm Turkey, and that there's Japan," Turkey said. "He actually owns the place and he let me join 'im as a business partner. There's another guy in here somewhere workin' for us, but I ain't seen that lazy ass bastard for a couple o' hours. He's probably off nappin' somewhere."

"It's nice to meet you," Finland said, approaching the counter. "I'm Finland, and this is my friend and roommate Sweden. I'm not sure what our work schedule will be like yet, but I hope we can visit often. I just love the baths and sauna."

"We would be pleased to receive your regular patronage," Japan said with a small smile. "We have two styles of bath here, the onsen and the hamam. Do you have a preference?"

Finland glanced up at Sweden who returned the look blankly. He'd never heard of either of those before.

"We've never tried those styles," Finland said. "Which would you recommend?"

"We recommend the onsen to the costumer who prefers to relax in peace, and the hamam for the customer who would like to be pampered. If you are interested in a sauna, I believe the hamam would best meet your needs."

Sweden wasn't quite sure about the pampering bit. He had spent almost his entire existence in servitude of others, and while he didn't always like it, it was what he was used to. The thought of someone serving him, and in the bath no less, made him a little uncomfortable. What exactly would this service entail? Finland, however, seemed to be on board for it. He was digging out his wallet to pay.

"We'll take that one then, please," he said amicably.

"Aw yeah, that's what I like to hear," Turkey said, clapping his and rubbing his hands together. "Can I interest you gents in a massage and scrub down, or wouldja rather take care of yerselves?"

"We might have to take care of ourselves this time," Finland said. "I'm starting to run a bit low on cash at the moment."

"Tell ya what," Turkey said. "Since we're neighbors 'n' all, and since it's yer first visit, why don't I give ya a freebie this time?"

"Would you?" Finland asked hopefully. "We'd really appreciate it!"

Turkey threw back his head and laughed. "Not s' sure yer big friend agrees with ya. His face got real scary when ya said that."

"You don't want to, Sve?" Finland asked, sounding genuinely surprised, as if he couldn't understand how anyone could say no to having a complete stranger touching his naked body all over.

Everyone's attention shifted to him suddenly, waiting for his answer, and Sweden felt his face heating up. He tried to communicate to Finland with his eyes that the idea made him uncomfortable, but Finland just shrank back in fear at the intense expression on his face.

"Eeek! P-please don't glare at me like that!" Finland squeaked. "I'm sorry for making assumptions! We don't have to do it!"

Sweden scratched the back of his neck self-consciously, feeling bad for scaring Finland so badly. He didn't mean to put a damper on Finland's fun; the whole idea was just a bit too awkward for him.

"If it's any consolation, Sweden-san," Japan piped up, "the hamam requires customers to be partially clothed through the massage and scrubbing process, and the masseurs do not touch the customer in any way that compromises his privacy. There is also the option of allowing Finland-kun to choose the services he desires while you perform self-service."

"Oh, right," Turkey confirmed. "Prob'ly shoulda mentioned that."

Sweden mulled this over. Being partially clothed and knowing that he wasn't going to be touched anywhere strange did take a lot of the weirdness out of it for him. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad after all. And since he and Finland were probably going to be visiting this place regularly it seemed like bad form to turn down the hospitality Turkey was so graciously offering. He nodded hesitantly.

"'Kay then," he grunted.

Finland looked at him in surprise as Turkey leaned over the counter and clapped him on the shoulder.

"Atta boy!" he said with a grin. "Live a little! Alright, these here're called peshtemals." He handed them some red woven towels. "After you've stripped down in the changin' area, wrap these around yer waists and enter the door marked 'hot room'. You'll see a big stone platform thing in the middle of the room with heat comin' off it. That's the hamam version of a sauna. Rinse yourself off and then you can lie on top of the platform if ya want, or do whatever. There're cold water basins if ya get too hot. Just splash yerself a little and you'll cool right off; use these bowls to scoop the water. How long d'ya reckon you'll wanna hang out in the sauna?"

"Oh, I don't know… maybe half an hour?" Finland replied.

"Great, we'll leave ya alone for half an hour and then Greece and I'll be in ta give ya the massage and scrub down."

Japan directed them to the changing area and handed them each a pair of wooden sandals with two prongs on the bottom to lift the wearer off the ground. "Please wear these in the hot room to prevent slipping on the wet stone. Enjoy your stay."

He left them to enter the changing room on their own. To Sweden's relief, the place was empty and there were individual partitioned areas to undress in.

"Sve…" Finland began as he stepped into one of the little wooden stalls to change. "Before in the lobby when Turkey offered us the massage and scrub and you made that really angry-looking face…"

Angry? Was that how he'd looked to Finland? He certainly hadn't meant to.

"Was that because you were feeling embarrassed and uncomfortable?" Finland finished.

Sweden felt his face going hot as he wrapped the towel Turkey had given him around his waist. "…Not used t' people touchin' me… or seein' me without m' clothes…" he mumbled.

"I'm really sorry," Finland said, and Sweden could hear the surprise in his voice. "Communal bathing is so normal to me, it didn't even occur to me that someone might find it strange. If you would've told me you felt this way, I wouldn't have pressured you into coming and trying this style of bathing."

"…Wanted t' make y' happy…" Sweden replied quietly.

He was glad for the wall between them so that Finland couldn't see how deeply he was blushing. Unfortunately Finland chose that moment to emerge from his stall, wearing the peshtemal and sandals, and met Sweden's eyes. Sweden noticed that his master's cheeks were pink and felt that fluttery sensation in his chest again, though he was too embarrassed to hold Finland's gaze for long.

"That's really sweet of you, Sve," Finland breathed. "Thank you."

Sweden fiddled with the hem of his peshtemal and cleared his throat. "…Think I saw th' hot room sign that way."

Finland smiled at him and let him lead the way. "If there's anything I can do to repay you, please tell me. I know you made a big sacrifice for me tonight, and I'd like to show my gratitude."

Sweden glanced at him out of the corner of his eye as Finland pulled open the door to let them into the heated room. _I'd like a kiss… Not that I could ever tell him that._ He was glad the room was so hot; that way Finland would think the blush on his cheeks was due to the heat and not because he was thinking embarrassing thoughts.

"Maybe I'll think o' somethin'," he mumbled.

The two of them splashed themselves with water from the carved stone basins mounted to the wall before stretching out side by side on the giant marble pedestal in the middle of the room. The room was small and dimly lit, giving it a relaxing, intimate atmosphere. The structure was made completely of stone with a domed ceiling that had about fifty or so perfectly round holes that allowed them to see the night sky.

"This place is really pretty, isn't it?" Finland asked softly. "I wish I would have known sooner that places like this exist."

"Mm," Sweden agreed.

They lapsed into a comfortable silence. Sweden turned his head to look at Finland. His master's captivating violet eyes were fixed on the starry sky above and he hadn't noticed yet that he was being watched. There was a kind of simple beauty about him, and it made Sweden want to brush Finland's sweat-damp hair out of his face and caress his flushed cheeks.

Something soft suddenly touched his fingers. Sweden started slightly and looked down. To his overjoyed amazement, Finland's hand was touching his. The genie didn't know what to do. He wanted to take hold of it, but he wasn't sure if Finland was even aware that they had made contact. Was this an accident? Sweden didn't want to draw Finland's attention to it if it was. Deciding to just let it be, he sighed happily and let his gaze drift back to the stars.

* * *

><p>The whole scrubbing and massaging process ended up being quite a bit less uncomfortable than Sweden had anticipated, and was perhaps even a little enjoyable. The long-haired, lethargic-looking man who administered his massage was very skilled with his hands. Sweden didn't experience fatigue after physical activity, but he had discovered that using his magic to grant Finland's wishes after being inactive for so long made him a little tired, and the massaging helped with that a bit.<p>

Turkey was working on Finland and looked rather satisfied with every little moan and hum of pleasure, and popping of Finland's bones. There was a briefly awkward moment during the scrubbing when Sweden's attendant (whose name was Greece) commented on the curious lack of dead skin when he rubbed him with the raw silk cloth. Finland's dead skin was coming off in sheets, but Sweden seemed clean as a whistle.

"You didn't… use soap before… I came in, did you?" Greece asked slowly. "Sometimes that can… prevent the cloth from… working properly."

Sweden, whose body was made of solidified smoke, didn't have skin and therefore also didn't have dead skin cells. He couldn't exactly tell Greece that, however, for fear of Finland's safety, so he simply shook his head.

"Yer just not puttin' enough elbow grease into it, ya brat!" Turkey said. The older man seemed to have a rather antagonistic relationship with Greece. Sweden wondered how he had even gotten hired if Turkey disliked him so much.

"I'm putting in more… than an old fart like you… could," Greece retaliated sleepily.

Sweden ended up using magic to generate some dead skin for himself so that they wouldn't get suspicious.

By the end of the bathing process, Finland was squeaky clean and starting to yawn every so often, and Sweden was glad to see him looking so relaxed and content after their long, hard day. They chilled the cold room for a short time before wandering back into the changing area to get dressed again. Japan served them complimentary green tea in the lobby.

When Finland began to nod sleepily against Sweden's shoulder, the genie realized it was time to get him home. He thanked the bathhouse staff for their hospitality and helped Finland to his feet, into his shoes, and out the door.

Finland shivered when the freezing November air whipped past him, clutching Sweden's arm tiredly for warmth and support. Walking the few blocks home was going to take much longer than necessary at the sluggish pace they were going. Would it be too forward of him to offer Finland a piggyback ride? The shorter man's teeth were chattering, and his eyelids had grown so heavy that he almost looked like he was sleepwalking. Perhaps a piggyback ride would be appreciated. Sweden crouched in front of Finland, who accepted the assistance without a word.

Sweden's cheeks flushed with pleasure as Finland's arms wound loosely around his neck and his soft, round cheek nuzzled into the crook of his neck. The genie fished the key from Finland's borrowed coat's pocket and sped them towards home. By the time he reached the toyshop, all the lights in the building, including the one in America's room, had been turned off. He unlocked the door as quietly as he could and let them in before relocking it behind him.

Finland only stirred when Sweden laid him carefully in bed and pulled the sheets up to his shoulders. He had fallen asleep on the walk home, but his eyelids fluttered when Sweden's warmth began to draw away from him.

"Sve?" he mumbled in the darkness. Sweden could tell by his voice that he was still mostly asleep.

"Hmm?" Sweden responded, touching Finland's cheek gently to reassure him of his presence.

"Staywi'me?" he requested. "You're…warm…"

If Sweden had possessed a heart, it probably would have skipped a beat. He knew that his body, being made of smoke, tended to retain heat or cold when he was exposed to either extreme and he supposed that it must have stored some of the heat from the sauna. _Fin wouldn't be asking me to stay if it weren't for the warmth. Besides, he's basically asleep. He probably doesn't know what he's saying. _Sweden tried to be rational and not let himself get too worked up over this request, but he couldn't help himself. He was ecstatic.

Slowly, carefully, still in disbelief over his good fortune, Sweden slipped fully dressed into bed beside Finland. His master snuggled up unabashedly, cuddling into Sweden's eager but nervous embrace. Finland tucked his head under Sweden's chin and sighed softly against his neck.

His hair was downy soft and smelled pleasantly of shampoo, and his skin, having been well exfoliated by the scrub down, felt almost impossibly soft. Sweden swallowed hard, wanting more than anything to steal a little kiss. _I can't. It wouldn't be fair to Fin._ He had to keep repeating this in his head so that he wouldn't get carried away.

Sweden couldn't be certain, but as he lied there that night, holding Finland and keeping him warm through the winter chill, he thought that there was a good chance that he had fallen in love.


	4. Chapter 4

Finland, exhausted by the long day he'd had and relaxed by the trip to the sauna, slept deeply and soundly that night. He'd been concerned when he'd purchased the new bedding that he wouldn't be warm enough, but he'd realized that he was going to have to be careful with his cash until his first paycheck and thought he ought to hold off on buying another blanket. Apparently he needn't have worried, though; he felt as though he'd spent the night in his own little bubble of warmth and protection.

It was still dark when Finland became aware of his surroundings that morning. He wasn't fully awake yet, so he thought maybe he would just lounge in bed for a little bit longer. His covers were so warm and comforting. He snuggled into the warmth and closed his eyes again, hoping to recapture the dream he'd been having. In this hazy limbo between waking and sleeping, he couldn't quite recall all the details, but it had been pleasant and soothing. The only thing that came back to him for certain about it was a pair of oddly familiar bespectacled bluish-green eyes.

It didn't occur to him that anything was out of the ordinary until he felt a weight shift beside him, something warm and soft resting against his scalp, and a gentle pressure against his back. Finland's eyes fluttered open confusedly, a frown forming on his face.

He froze when his gaze was met by an expanse of skin. _What on earth…?_ Where was he? Who was he with? Finland tried frantically to recall his final memory from the previous night. Let's see… he'd been at the bathhouse with Sweden, and then…

Finland felt as though his heart had stopped. _No… it couldn't be. There's no way in a thousand years… _He drew away from the warm figure he'd been cuddled up against very, very slowly, so as not to disturb it. Finland's breath caught in his throat. There beside him and apparently fast asleep was Sweden. And he wasn't just sleeping beside him, but cuddling him more tenderly than Finland could ever remember having been held in his life, and before Finland had drawn away ever so carefully his nose had been nuzzled into his hair, lips resting against the top of his head.

Finland's numb and buzzing mind was still struggling with how to best confront this very awkward situation, his face growing steadily redder with every passing second, when Sweden's eyelids suddenly eased open. Sweden blinked groggily at him. Finland was frozen; he could do nothing but wait for Sweden to react. It took perhaps three full seconds, but then, as suddenly as if a light switch had been flicked on, a truly terrifying expression formed on the genie's face and he separated himself from Finland like Finland had electrocuted him.

Sweden was so startled that he transformed himself into a puff of smoke and, too flustered to be bothered to locate his lamp, darted into a dresser drawer that was hanging half-way open. Finland could see his bluish-green eyes glittering at him through the gloom. It would have been comical if he hadn't been so horribly embarrassed.

"I'm sorry!" Finland squeaked, his throat constricted with fear. "I honestly have no memory of how that happened! Please don't be angry!"

Finland saw Sweden's eyes swing back and forth inside the drawer as the genie shook his head hurriedly. "I should be 'pologizin'! I knew y' didn't know whatcha were sayin', but I stayed 'nyway!"

"Wh-what?" Finland stammered. "I don't… wh-what exactly did I say?"

If Finland hadn't been in such a panic, he might have noticed that the redness in Sweden's face was rising like a thermometer. "Y' … y' said I was warm 'n'… y' wanted me t' stay…"

"When did I… Hold on, I didn't fall asleep at the bathhouse, did I?" Finland asked.

Sweden nodded.

"So to get home…"

"Carriedja," Sweden mumbled.

Finland buried his brilliantly flushed face in his hands. Why did he keep doing stupid things and making grief for Sweden? The genie was going to think he was childish and that he couldn't take care of himself. "I'm really sorry! I'm not usually so careless, I swear!"

Sweden shook his head again, looking like he wanted to say something, but he didn't. It didn't occur to Finland that the genie might be tongue-tied; he was too busy looking for a way to alleviate the painful awkwardness of this situation. It struck Sweden that he probably looked like a fool peeking out at Finland from the drawer, so he filtered out timidly, regaining his usual size and solidity. A long, uncomfortable silence stretched between them before Finland was able to find his voice again.

"I'm, um… I'm gonna start cooking breakfast," he announced nervously. "America will be expecting us at work this morning."

He hurried to hang the pot he'd brought with him from the shelter that Sweden had him for his first wish in the fireplace so that he could make porridge. After watching him for a moment, Sweden began to make the bed. Finland's mind was a whir of confusion as he began dumping ingredients into the pot. How should he feel about this? His first impulse was to be a bit disturbed; after all, he'd just woken up to find his friend cuddling in bed with him. Even though he liked Sweden and owed a lot to him, it felt like the genie had crossed a boundary that Finland wasn't comfortable with.

But as Finland lit the fire in the hearth, it occurred to him that maybe he was overreacting. After all, he used to cuddle with his brothers and his friends on cold winter nights before the incident had happened. Not only that, but Sweden had said Finland had asked him to stay, and it sounded like something Finland thought he might do if he were chilly and half asleep. How could Sweden have known that Finland would be so uncomfortable when he woke up to find that Sweden had generously granted his request?

Finland glanced up from his breakfast preparations to look at Sweden. The genie was fussing with the covers even though they were already perfect, clearly just trying to keep himself occupied to prevent the silence from being any more awkward than it already was. Now that Finland thought about it, last night had been the best, deepest, most relaxing sleep he'd had in a long time. Perhaps it had to do with the fact that Sweden had been holding him. He hadn't even had any dreams, unless he counted that elusive but pleasant one about those beautiful bluish-green eyes… which, now that he thought about it, had looked an awful lot like…

This train of thought was interrupted by a firm, playfully rhythmic knock on the door. Finland started slightly, shaking himself out of a little daze.

"Uh… Come in," he said faintly. The door flew open almost instantly.

"Mornin' guys!" America greeted them enthusiastically. "It was boring eating breakfast by myself so I thought I'd come visit you! Is that ok?"

"Oh, sure," Finland agreed. From what he'd seen, America seemed like a nice enough guy, albeit slightly pushy and loud. He figured it would probably be a good idea to get on friendly terms with him. And he was honestly glad to have someone to distract him from the awkward situation that he and Sweden had found themselves in.

"Awesome, thanks! Here, I brought some for everyone!"

He set a plate of bacon and eggs on the table, along with a pot of coffee. Finland's heart leapt.

"Oh wow, coffee! I can't remember the last time I had that!"

America laughed. "Help yourself."

"Thank you so much!" Finland gushed as he poured himself a mug. "Where did you get it? My parents were in the importing business so we had it at home, but ever since I left I've had the hardest time finding any."

"My brother knows a guy," America said with a grin.

"Y' like it?" Sweden asked, joining them at the table at last.

"Yes, I love coffee!" Finland chirped, blowing on the steaming liquid. "Would you like some, Sve?"

Sweden hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "Never tried it b'fore."

"Really?" Finland said, pouring him a cup. "You're in for a treat, then."

Sweden took the cup and sniffed the contents curiously.

"You're welcome to some of our food, too, Mr. America, if you don't mind porridge," Finland offered. "It should be ready now."

"Sure, I'll have a little," America agreed.

Finland got up to serve them all some. He turned back around to bring the porridge to the table to see Sweden chugging his coffee.

"Whoa, hey! You'll burn your throat drinking it like that!" America warned around a mouthful of bacon.

Finland stifled a little smile at America's alarm, knowing that Sweden would be fine. When the genie lowered the cup it was empty, and there was a startlingly fierce look on his face. Finland quailed, wondering if Sweden had hated it and if he was going to be angry with him for recommending it. America noticed his expression, too.

"I tried to warn you, man," he said. "Your tongue's gonna be scorched for like a week."

"'S really good," Sweden commented.

Finland cocked his head, thoroughly confused. Was that the kind of face Sweden made when he really liked something or was he just biting back his rage to be civil? It didn't make sense to him that his expression of enjoyment would be so furious looking, but then he remembered the face Sweden had made when he was uncomfortable at the bathhouse. Maybe he was just really awful at reading the genie's expressions.

"Seriously?" America gaped. "How are you not dying from chugging that? It was boiling hot! You must be super hardcore!"

Sweden shrugged.

"I'm impressed, dude," America said. "That was kind of awesome."

Sweden glanced at Finland as if he was wondering if Finland had found his coffee-chugging impressive as well, then went slightly pink and occupied himself with his breakfast. What a mysterious roommate Finland had found for himself.

"So I forgot to ask you yesterday, but what time do you usually open shop?" Finland asked, digging into his breakfast.

"Normally around mid-morning," America replied. "But we're not open on Tuesdays, so we'll just be doing some errands and stuff today. I thought you guys could help me pick up some of the stuff I'm out of and maybe we'd see about getting some projects started."

"Sounds good to me," Finland said agreeably.

"Cool," America said as he reached into his back pocket. "I divided the list of stuff in half, so I've got one and you two can have this one."

Finland took the list from America and looked it over. The items on it seemed to be mostly things Sweden would need for making wooden toys.

"Maybe you could draw us a map so we can find these stores?" Finland requested.

"I've gotta give you some cash, too," America said, scraping the last of his porridge into his mouth. "I'll be back with that stuff in a sec. Have some more coffee if you want; it might take a minute to draw the map."

Finland gladly poured himself and Sweden another cup.

* * *

><p>Asking America to draw them a map turned out to be a big mistake. The toymaker had handed them the map folded in quarters and pointed them in the right direction before taking off to buy his own supplies, so they hadn't noticed the poor quality of the map until America had already gone. For one thing, America had drawn his own shop so hugely and elaborately that it took up half the paper so that everything else had to be crammed into the space that was left. For another thing, he seemed to have something against writing out full words, and sometimes didn't bother with words at all, simply pictures that indicated the nature of the different shops.<p>

"Ok, this 'MED' here must mean the apothecary," Finland mumbled to himself, glancing up at the apothecary on their right. "That means we should be turning left somewhere around here, but what in the world could this thing be? It looks like a stickman exploding, but…"

"Could be standin' 'n a field o' flowers," Sweden suggested. "A flower shop?"

"We've been up and down this street twice and I haven't seen any flower shops, have you?" Finland asked.

Sweden fell silent. He could see that Finland was starting to get frustrated and he wanted to help soothe him, but he wasn't sure if Finland was the type of person who would appreciate that kind of thing or if he should just back off. He wondered what Finland would do if he tried to massage his shoulders. He remembered the contented sounds that Finland had made during the bathhouse massage, and his face began to heat up. Sweden gave his head a little shake. They were working now; this was no time to get wrapped up in fantasies. Besides, he was probably already on thin ice with him after what had happened that morning.

"Could ask someone," he mumbled.

"We might have to," Finland sighed. "I can't make heads or tails of this map."

"I can help!" a voice piped up from behind them.

Finland and Sweden turned to see a familiar scruffy, dirty figure watching them.

"Sealand!" Finland said in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

Sealand grinned. "I saw you wandering around lost and I decided to follow you. Sea is a master navigator, you know."

"You don't happen to know where the carpentry supply store is, do you?" Finland asked. "We've got a map but it's not doing us much good."

"I know exactly where it is!" Sealand said. "I've walked all over this city a hundred times, so I'm the best guide there is!"

"Are you sure it's ok for you to take us, though?" Finland asked concernedly. "Won't your mother be worried if you're gone too long?"

"I told you already, I don't have parents," Sealand said, his smile fading. "They're dead. Sea is alone."

Sealand's voice sounded so hollow as he said this that it made Sweden's chest ache. It was unnatural and heartbreaking for a child to be able to command a tone like that. If the look on Finland's face was any indicator, he felt the same.

"Oh, Sealand… I'm sorry," Finland said softly. "I shouldn't have pried."

Sealand turned his back on them and tugged vaguely on his ratty cloak, and Sweden half expected him to vanish and leave them there. But he didn't go; he merely straightened his hat before addressing them again.

"If you're looking for the carpentry supply store, it's this way," he informed them, his voice sounding lighter again, though not as cheerful as it had been. "Look, there's the armory. That's probably why there was an exploding stickman on your map."

"So that's what that was about!" Finland sighed and shook his head. "Honestly, how was I supposed to figure that out?"

"Well, what else would make a bloke explode?" Sealand asked as if Finland were being incredibly silly.

"Hey, we weren't even sure that it was an exploding man," Finland said, relaxing now that they had a more reliable guide. "Sve thought it might've been a person in a flower field. That's Sweden, by the way, because I don't think we ever introduced ourselves. And I'm Finland."

"Sweden, Finland," Sealand repeated. "Ok, I'll remember."

He took the map from Finland and looked at it. "This steaming bread on here is the bakery up there."

Sweden snorted. "Thought that was steamin' dung."

Sealand sniggered at his comment and Finland looked up at Sweden in shock. "Sve… Did you just laugh?"

Sweden went red. It had been kind of a strange sounding noise, now that someone mentioned it. Finland probably thought it sounded gross, and honestly he couldn't blame him. "Sorry," he mumbled.

"Oh no, you don't have to apologize!" Finland assured him. "You've always got such a straight face, I was just surprised is all. Actually, I think it'd be nice if you laughed more often."

Sweden could hardly believe what he was hearing. Sweet, adorable little Finland was telling him that he'd like it if he laughed more. The genie was pretty sure he could take that to mean that Finland liked his laugh. And if Finland liked his laugh, then maybe he could like other things about him, and perhaps if Finland found enough parts of Sweden that he liked, maybe he would start to like the rest of him too. Sweden averted his eyes shyly to the cloudy sky above.

"'F it makes ya happy," he mumbled, his blush creeping up to his ears.

He was so busy being embarrassed that he completely missed Finland's soft smile, and Sealand's sly, understanding one.

* * *

><p>With Sealand guiding them, Finland and Sweden found the shops they needed without much incident and were able to buy the things they needed. Sealand came in handy again when it came to carrying the goods back to the shop; there was simply too much for the two of them to handle alone. Finland stopped at a small sweets shop to buy Sealand a few pieces of candy as payment for his help, and Sealand sucked on them happily as they made their way back to America's place. America was already waiting for them when they got back.<p>

"Jeez, what took you guys so long?" he groused. "I was starting to think you'd decided this job was boring and ditched me!"

"Sorry, we got lost," Finland said, trying not to sound accusatory.

"What? How could you have gotten lost with the kickass map I drew you?" America yelped.

"Your map was complete pants," Sealand said matter-of-factly. "If I hadn't found 'em they'd probably still be looking for the shop."

"Oh, you met Sealand, huh?" America commented. "I guess if you can't read a map, he's the next best thing."

"Sea is way better than America's rubbish map," Sealand said, sticking his tongue out.

"Oh yeah? Says who?" America demanded.

"Says everyone with a brain!" Sealand said.

"Alright, that does it, you little punk!" America growled.

Finland could tell there was no actual anger in his voice, however, and when America lunged for the boy, it was only to poke at his ticklish sides. Sealand giggled madly, wrestling futilely against him. Then he manage to circle around behind him and jump on America's back. The older boy stole his hat in retaliation and held it out of Sealand's reach.

Finland glanced over at Sweden and saw the genie watching almost wistfully, as if he'd like to join in. Finland tried to imagine Sweden laughing and grappling with Sealand, but it was rather difficult to wrap his mind around it. Then again, Sweden had already surprised him many times. Perhaps it wasn't such a stretch. In fact, it might even be kind of cute.

Finland felt his cheeks going a bit warm over having just thought such a thing about Sweden, but he honestly didn't think any other adjective could describe the scene he was imagining. The genie chose that rather unfortunate moment to look over at him, and caught Finland looking at him, blushing. Sweden's eyes widened, but Finland quickly averted his gaze and attempted to alleviate the awkwardness he was feeling by addressing America.

"You two, um, know each other?" Finland asked.

"Sure, I let him sleep in the shop and put out food for him sometimes," America replied. "I must've asked him if he wanted to stay for good like a hundred times, but he keeps refusing."

"Who wants to live with you?" Sealand scoffed teasingly. "You'd probably forget to take care of me and then I'd die. Anyway, your place is too dry, and you snore like a warthog. I'd never get any sleep."

"Wha—I do not!" America insisted, going a bit pink.

"Snorty snorty warthog," Sealand laughed.

Finland stifled a giggle, and even Sweden had an amused sort of glimmer in his eye.

"ANYWAY!" America shouted, trying to drown out Sealand's chant. "We better put this stuff away. We've got a lot of work ahead of us."

Sealand looked put out by this, like he'd wanted to spend more time with them. "Bye…"

"We'll see you later, Sealand," Finland said. "Thank you for your help today."

"Ok…"

Sweden patted Sealand's shoulder encouragingly before heading inside.

* * *

><p>"So this is the wood-working shop," America said slowly, pushing open the door.<p>

Sweden looked around appraisingly. It was a nice place; clean, well-cared for, and there was a sort of spirited atmosphere about it. He could tell that a lot of toys had been made with love here. He made his way to the table and ran his fingers thoughtfully over the tools laid out there. Sweden could certainly see himself working here.

"'S nice," he commented.

"Won't this be great, Sve?" Finland gushed. "Your very own workspace! I can't wait to see what you can do with it!"

"It was my grandpa's," America said, a note of quiet nostalgia in his voice. "After he died, I told myself… I'd never let anyone else work in here, that it was a sacred place or something, but then I saw your work on the furniture and… I don't know, I kind of felt like if anyone should be allowed to work in here, it's you. You seemed like you got it, that woodworking is more than something you do to put products on the shelves."

"Yer gran'pa made th' ballerina puppet in th' window?" Sweden asked.

"Yeah, he made that for my mom when she was a kid," America said. "I'll never sell it."

"Could tell he was a skilled craftsm'n by lookin' at it," Sweden said. "I'll try t' do honor to 'is legacy."

"Awesome, man," America said. "It means a lot, seriously."

And Sweden could tell that it did mean a lot, and it was touching, really. His feelings toward America so far had been slightly positive side of neutral (he had won himself points by employing Finland and giving him a place to live), but he appreciated someone who had a real passion for their craft and who took pride in their work, and for that America moved up in his books. Seeing America's devotion made him want to try harder, and not just to impress Finland (though that was certainly part of it). Looking at Finland, Sweden could see that he was also swayed by America's enthusiasm.

"It seems like you really love this shop," Finland remarked.

"Oh my god, you have no idea," America replied. "We've had other people working for us before you guys showed up and it wasn't like they were bad guys or anything, but I could tell they were just doing it to make ends meet and it showed in their work too."

The toyshop owner's gaze fell on the worktable, a faraway look in his eyes, and it made Sweden sure that he was remembering his grandfather sitting there, carving toys.

"And it's sad," America continued, his voice uncharacteristically quiet, though the ardor he felt for his profession came through as loud and clear as ever, "'cause to my grandpa and me it was never just about making toys or a living. It's about creating something that lets kids dream and use their imaginations and express themselves… I don't know… there's just something really cool about that."

"That's the kind of motivation I can really respect," Finland said. "Sve and I will put our hearts and souls into our work. You can count on us. Right, Sve?"

"Mm," Sweden agreed.

"That's what I like to hear," America said with a grin. "I think we're gonna be a hell of a team."

* * *

><p>After a quick lunch, the three of them went to work. Impassioned by the talk they had had beforehand, Finland and Sweden concentrated on their respective projects without much chatter. Sweden had begun work on a jester puppet, and Finland had begun to design a novelty candy dispenser featuring a little white puppy that went into its doghouse where the sweets were stored and came out with a candy in its mouth.<p>

Neither of them was quite sure what America was up to; he had disappeared into the cellar of the workshop and was banging away at something. Sweden even heard a small explosion once, followed by a string of colorful expletives and coughing.

It was late afternoon before Finland looked up from his design and spoke.

"Hey, Sve…" he began thoughtfully. "You know, I've kind of been thinking about something today."

"Hmm?"

"Sealand seems like a nice boy, and I'm worried about him being out there all on his own." Finland continued unhurriedly, though he wasn't looking at Sweden and instead at a spot on the ceiling. "I mean, I know what it's like to just be a kid and feel… completely and utterly alone in the world. It's not something I would ever wish on anyone else."

Sweden looked up from the wooden face he was carving slowly to stare at Finland. Was he going where Sweden thought he was going with this? No, it couldn't be. _It's wishful thinking, _Sweden told himself firmly. _This is my imagination playing tricks on me. He's probably going to say… I don't know, something other than what I'm thinking right now._

"So, what I was going to ask you was…" Finland hesitated, running his hand over his mouth nervously. "What would you think about asking him if he wants to stay with us?"

Sweden couldn't believe his ears. Finland had said it. He'd actually said it. That was what Sweden had been trying to tell himself Finland wasn't going to ask.

"Y' mean… y' want us t' 'dopt a kid…t'gether," Sweden clarified slowly.

Finland reddened. "Ah, well… I hadn't really thought about it in those exact terms, but… I guess that's what we'd be doing. Um, y-you don't have to do anything for him if you don't want to. I'll take care of his needs and stuff, so…"

"'S fine, I'll help," the genie blurted. "I like kids."

"Sve… really?" Finland asked hopefully. "You're not just saying that to make me happy, are you?"

Oh, if Finland only knew how much his proposition meant to him, he wouldn't be asking that question. It was costing him every ounce of self-control he possessed not to sweep Finland into his arms and hug him (not that he would have needed much convincing to do so before this). He swallowed hard and shook his head.

Finland treated him to the sweetest, sunniest smile Sweden had ever seen him wear, and it made him feel like his insides had been reduced to mush. If he'd thought he wanted to hug Finland before, it was nothing to how badly he wanted to do so after seeing that brilliant smile.

"Thank you so much, Sve," he said. "This means a lot to me."

Sweden wished he could tell Finland that he felt like he ought to be the one to thank him, but he was so tongue-tied after seeing Finland's gorgeous smile that all he could do was blush and return to his work in a fluster.

* * *

><p>Even with their decision to ask Sealand if he wanted to live with them made, they couldn't act on it until they had finished their work for the day. America had come up from the cellar at dinner time, covered in soot and smeared with oil, his eyes sparkling excitedly about something, to tell them that they could call it a day. Finland couldn't help being curious as to what he'd been doing while they'd been at work in the woodshop.<p>

"What were you working on down there, Mr. America?" he asked.

America wiped his dirty glasses on his handkerchief. "Sorry, can't tell ya. It's a top secret project. But I will say that if I can get it working right, I'll be the most famous inventor in the country—no, the world!"

"Wow, it must be quite the invention," Finland said, though he suspected that America might be exaggerating a little.

"Just wait until I unveil it," America bragged. "I'm gonna help so many people. It'll be like nothing the world's ever seen!"

"I look forward to seeing it when it's finished," Finland replied politely. "Um, there's something I wanted to ask you, Mr. America. Sve and I were thinking about asking Sealand if he wants to live with us from now on. Do you mind if we invite him to stay in our room?"

"I don't mind at all, but I don't think you're gonna be able to get him to agree," America told him. "I must've asked him to stay with me a hundred times, but… well, you heard what he said this afternoon. He keeps saying that my place is too dry, whatever that means."

Finland and Sweden traded a thoughtful look.

"But if we could get him to say yes…"

"Then go for it!" America urged. "That would be awesome!"

And so, with America's blessing, Sweden and Finland headed out to look for Sealand. Finland was a bit concerned as he and Sweden exited the front door of the shop that they wouldn't be able to find him, but he needn't have worried. Sealand was milling around just outside, almost as if he were waiting for them. Finland smiled and waved at him and Sealand came over to talk to them.

"Were you waiting for us?" Finland asked.

Sealand shrugged, his cheeks pinking slightly. "Sea likes you two. Not that many other people are nice to me."

Finland felt another pang of sympathy for Sealand. "We like you too, Sealand. Actually, I'm glad you waited for us. There's something Sve and I wanted to ask you."

Sealand cocked his head curiously, indicating that he was interested in what they had to say.

"We were wondering if you'd like to live with us from now on," Finland offered. "I'm not sure if I'd be very good at taking care of you, but it's warm and safe, and you'll be with people who care about you. I don't have a lot of money right now, but once America pays me we can get you some new clothes and things. What do you think?"

Sealand looked conflicted. "I'd like to, but… that house is too dry. I can't live there."

"What do you mean it's too dry?" Finland asked.

"Sea's magic is connected to water," Sealand explained. "If I spend too long away from water, I get weak and ill."

"How much d'ya need?" Sweden asked.

"A little pond or a well would be enough," Sealand said.

"I'll make ya one," Sweden said.

Sealand's thick eyebrows shot up in surprise, getting lost behind his overly-long and dirty bangs. "Really?"

"Do I need to use a wish?" Finland whispered to Sweden.

Sweden shook his head. "Th' bottle o' water I gave 'm b'fore refills itself f'rever. I c'n dig it by hand 'n' use that t' fill it."

"We'd just need to get America's approval to dig a pond or a well in his backyard," Finland told Sealand with a smile.

"Jeez, is that what you wanted all this time?" an exasperated voice said from behind them.

Finland whirled around and saw that America had joined them. "Mr. America! You surprised me!"

"If you'd told me that sooner, I woulda done it a long time ago," America huffed, crossing his arms over his chest.

Sealand stuck his tongue out at him. "You didn't ask. Besides, you're still a snorty warthog, and who wants to live with one of those?"

"So it's ok, then?" Finland asked hopefully.

"Yeah, go ahead," America agreed. "What kind of hero would I be if I said no?"

"Thank you!" Finland said gratefully. "What do you say, Sealand? Would you like to live with us?"

Sealand smiled brightly. "Yeah! That'd be brilliant!"

"Great! I'm so glad to hear that!" Finland replied. "Sve is too, of course. Right Sve?"

Sweden nodded.

America reached into his wallet and dug out a small handful of coins which he deposited into Finland's hand. Finland looked at him questioningly.

"I know you're probably a little short on cash right now, and I'd been planning to take him in anyway if he'd agreed to it," America explained. "Why don't you use this to take him to the bathhouse and get him cleaned up and see if you can buy him a new pair of clothes somewhere?"

Sealand's face lit up with excitement. "The bathhouse?"

Finland smiled, knowing that Sealand would love being surrounded by all that water. "I'm sorry for the trouble. I'll pay you back once I get the money."

"Don't worry about payin' it back, man," America assured him. "I wanna help."

"That's very kind of you, thank you!" Finland said, putting the coins in his own wallet. "What do you say, Sealand? Would you like to get something to eat and then go take a bath?"

"Yeah!"

Finland was just about to suggest that they head over to Spain and Italy's pub when an idea occurred to him. He glanced over at America. His boss had a slightly disheartened look on his face. Finland wondered if his feelings had been hurt that Sealand had accepted their offer and not his. It seemed wrong to leave him behind, especially after all he had been so agreeable.

"Would you like to join us, Mr. America?" Finland offered.

"Be glad t' have ya," Sweden piped up.

"Wha—really?" America asked, looking surprised.

"Yes, we can have a party to celebrate the newest addition to our little toyshop group," Finland said brightly.

"Oh, yeah, awesome," America agreed, a blinding smile spreading across his face.

Finland returned it, glad that he'd been able to lighten America's mood.

"So are you guys my new mum and dad, then?" Sealand asked happily as Finland began to lead them toward the restaurant.

"Wh-what?" Finland stammered.

"You adopted me, right?" Sealand reminded him. "So I'm like your son now, right?"

"I'm afraid to ask, but which of us would be the mom?" Finland asked.

"You!" Sealand said with a wide grin. "Sweden will be my papa!"

"I was afraid of that," Finland sighed.

"And if you two are my mum and dad, that means you're practically married," Sealand continued slyly, looking up at Sweden.

"Wh—Sealand! Please don't joke about things like that!" Finland sputtered, going red in the face. "Sve, tell him it's not like that between us!"

All three of them looked at Sweden. The genie just stared silently up at the sky, his cheeks even redder than Finland's. America and Sealand laughed.

"Sve, come on! Why are you being so quiet? Sve!"


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N:** Aaargh, this story is moving at a much slower pace than I had intended. In my original outline, this was only supposed to be about six or seven chapters long, but now it looks like it might turn out to be more like nine or ten chapters. I hope it's not too slow for you all!

* * *

><p>With work and his new little makeshift "family", for lack of a better word, to keep him busy Finland felt as though the next few weeks just flew by. He and Sweden began to establish themselves more firmly in the town through frequent visits to places like Spain and Italy's pub, the bathhouse, the carpentry supply store, and other nearby shops. People would smile and greet them in the streets, recognizing them as neighbors, patrons at their stores, or the talented craftsmen who worked at the toyshop. For the first time in five years, Finland began to feel as if he belonged somewhere. He wondered if it was ok for someone like him to be enjoying life this much. It almost made him feel guilty.<p>

November quickly transitioned into December, and with December came the preparations for the winter festival, one of Finland's favorite times of year. The shop windows were decorated for the occasion, and Finland began to put aside a portion of his weekly paycheck that he planned to use to buy ingredients for their feast, which was a traditional part of the festivities.

The approach of the winter festival also meant that business at the toyshop, which was usually fairly steady anyway, picked up significantly as parents began to purchase gifts for their children. Toys flew off the shelves as quickly as he, Sweden, and America could make them. By the time he and Sweden finished with work in the evenings, Finland usually only had the energy to eat dinner (prepared by Sweden), maybe visit the bathhouse, or if not then receive a shoulder rub from Sweden, and fall into bed.

Even Sealand was kept busy. America began paying him a few coins every week to sweep the shop, dust the shelves, and clean the windows. When he wasn't cleaning, he often acted as their enthusiastic greeter, or helped customers find the right toy for their child while America and his part-timer Liechtenstein were busy accepting payments and packaging purchases.

During the workday, Finland, Sweden, America and Sealand usually took a break around noon to eat lunch together (Liechtenstein tended to arrive for her shift around half an hour later, already fed, so she didn't usually eat with them), until one day Sealand told them "I think I'll eat in the shop today. Just in case anyone comes while you lot are back here."

The three of them watched him take his lunch casually into the store, swinging the door shut behind him absentmindedly so that they were shut off from the shop. Finland traded a questioning look with Sweden. Normally the boy stuck to them like glue; it was unusual for him to turn down their company. Finland eased the door open again and peeked out, trying to see what Sealand had left them for. He sat alone in the window, eating distractedly, looking through the foggy glass as though he were waiting for something.

"What's he doing?" America asked Finland as Finland closed the door again.

"Just sitting in the window, eating," he replied. "He must've decided that eating with us 'old guys' was too boring for him."

This curious behavior continued for about a week before Sealand approached Finland with a question that cleared up everything. He, Sweden and Sealand had finished their work for the day and Finland had just flopped down on the bed while Sweden began to make dinner preparations when Sealand came up to him.

"Mum," Sealand began hesitantly, and Finland sighed inwardly at the title, "can I… ask you something?"

"Mm hmm?" Finland replied, turning his head to face Sealand without lifting it from his pillow.

"See, I have this friend who's usually really cool and not afraid of anything, but then… this girl came along… and he wants to talk to her so bad but every time he tries, no words will come out. He just doesn't know what to say to her," Sealand rambled, looking carefully at the floor instead of at Finland. "What, er… what do you think I should do? To help my friend, I mean."

In spite of his fatigue, Finland propped himself up on his elbows, realizing instantly that Sealand didn't really want this advice for a friend but for himself. _So that's what he's been doing this week, _Finland thought to himself. _She must walk past the shop during our lunch hour and he's been waiting to see her._ Finland opened his mouth, thinking he might probe for a little more information to see if the girl was anyone he knew, but to his surprise Sweden spoke up first.

"Sea's got a crush," he announced.

Finland and Sealand stared at Sweden in shock, not expecting such blunt words from the normally quiet genie. Did Finland's vision deceive him or was there a mischievously playful twinkle in Sweden's eyes? Sealand went very red.

"Sh-shut up, Dad! I said it was for a friend, alright?" he blustered.

"Yer gettin' awful red," Sweden pointed out coolly as he began to dice the vegetables for reindeer meat stew.

"It's just the firelight making me look like that!" Sealand insisted.

Sweden snorted in doubtful amusement, shaking his head, but said nothing else.

"Stop laughing, you prat," Sealand groused. "Go snog Mum or something."

Sweden flicked a bit of carrot at Sealand, hitting him in the ear, and Finland wasn't sure if Sweden was actually blushing at that suggestion or if it was a trick of the light. He folded his arms on his pillow and lowered the lower half of his face into them to hide the rising color of his own cheeks as an image of Sweden kissing him flashed unbidden through his mind. Why did he always feel so flustered when Sealand made these sorts of comments? He tried to convince himself that he would be just as embarrassed if Sealand made implications about him and anyone else as well, but to be completely honest, he wasn't sure that was true.

"So?" Sealand said expectantly, turning around to face Finland again. He glanced briefly over at Sweden, glaring as if he dared him to interrupt again. "What should I tell my friend?"

"Well…" Finland hesitated.

To tell the truth, he didn't have a lot of experience in talking to girls with the goal of making a romantic connection. He had noticed pretty girls before and had felt slightly attracted to a few of them, but not so strongly that he felt compelled to go out of his way to spend time with them. After the incident had happened, he'd intentionally distanced himself from people and moved frequently from town to town before he could grow attached to anyone in particular.

Maybe some common sense advice would work. First he would need to know some basic information. If Sealand had been admiring this girl from afar, his first step would be to introduce himself.

"Has your friend ever spoken to the girl before?" Finland asked.

"Yeah, they say 'hi' and 'bye', and know each other's names and stuff," Sealand replied. "And they see each other almost every day."

Well, that was promising. At least the girl knew Sealand existed.

"And are your friend and the girl about the same age?" Finland continued.

Sealand frowned slightly. "He doesn't know exactly how old she is, but he thinks she's probably one or two years older than him."

A girl that Sealand saw almost every day and was slightly older than him… Sealand spent most of his time with him and Sweden so in all likelihood it was someone they knew, and there was only one girl who fit that description that Finland could think of.

"Liecht'nstein," Sweden said, stating the very person Finland had guessed. The manner in which the light caught his glasses could only be described as triumphant. "Cute."

"DAD!" Sealand howled, going scarlet all over again. "How did you…! I-I never said I liked…! Y-you're way off! Not even close! It's no one you know so shut up!"

"Might be best t' just tell 'er," Sweden advised. "I'll do it for ya."

"No!" Sealand cried, flailing comically. "You can't! C'mon! Promise you won't say anything!"

Finland could hardly believe this exchange was taking place. Sweden had never struck him as the type who liked teasing people. It just seemed so wildly out of character. But then again, when had any of his assumptions about Sweden's personality ever been correct?

Whenever he thought Sweden was expressing anger and hatred, he sometimes learned later that the expression he was actually seeing was enjoyment or embarrassment. Whenever Finland was sure Sweden was going to reach for his throat to choke him, it usually turned out that Sweden was reaching out to give him a gentle, reassuring pat. He was starting to get used to second guessing himself when it came to reading Sweden's gestures and expressions, but he was never sure what they really meant unless Sweden expressly told him. There was something kind of sad about that.

"'S fun t' do the teasin', but I guess gettin' teased isn't quite as fun," Sweden pointed out to Sealand.

Sealand still looked nervous. "You're not gonna tell her, are you?"

The genie paused for a moment, letting the boy sweat, then shook his head.

"If y' learned yer lesson…" Sweden trailed off, his expression morphing into a frown. "Y' ok, Fin?"

"What?" Finland started out of his musing. "Oh, yes! It's nothing. Sorry, you were waiting for my advice, weren't you Sea?"

Sealand blushed and kicked the floor irritably. "I guess you know I wanted the advice for me now that Dad's been a complete tosser and given it away."

Finland smiled at him, deciding not to tell him how obvious it had been from the start.

"Pohjola has this massive holiday market every year for the winter festival," Sealand mumbled. "I wanted to ask her to go with me, but I've hardly even talked to her. I can't just ask her out of nowhere."

"True," Finland agreed. "Well… the first thing you want to do is to get her to think of you in a positive way, show her that you'd like to be friends. Maybe you could keep some candy in your pocket and offer her some."

Sealand considered this. "Will that work?"

"Wouldn't you be happy if someone gave you candy?" Finland asked.

"I guess so…" Sealand said slowly.

"And give her compliments," Finland said. "Maybe something like 'your dress looks nice with your eyes today,' or 'I like your hair ribbon', just one compliment per day so she doesn't start feeling uncomfortable."

"Compliments…" Sealand repeated thoughtfully. "Ok, I think I can do that."

"It would also be good to smile at her sometimes and offer to help her if she looks like she needs something," Finland finished. "Just go slowly and be nice to her and I'm sure she'll understand your feelings."

"You think so?" Sealand asked hopefully. "You think she'd say ok to going to the marketplace with me?"

Finland laughed at Sealand's eager puppy-like expression. "I can't promise anything, but I think you have a chance. There's no harm in trying at least, right?"

"Right!" Sealand replied enthusiastically. "I'll go get some candy tomorrow!"

"Wait, where are you going, Sea?" Finland asked when Sealand moved toward the door.

"I'm gonna go sit out back by the pond," Sealand replied. "Sea has a lot of strategizing to do."

"Well you'd better take your coat and scarf," Finland said, only becoming aware after he'd said it that he really was starting to sound like a parent.

Sealand snatched them off the hook on the wall, threw them on impatiently and headed out back. Finland sat up and watched through the window as Sealand emerged from the house and plunked down at the frozen water's edge. Even Finland, who generally considered himself to have a pretty high tolerance for cold had to admire Sealand's thick skin to want to go out at night in the middle of December and sit on the frozen ground. He wondered fleetingly if Sealand used magic to keep warm.

When Finland turned back around, he noticed that Sweden had stopped chopping vegetables and was now staring at him with a frightening expression on his face. He caught himself just before he shrank back in fear and instead swallowed hard, trying to meet Sweden's intense gaze.

"I-is something wrong, Sve?"

Sweden didn't answer immediately, but when he did, his casual tone seemed a bit forced. "Y' gave s'me good 'dvice."

"You think?" Finland asked, rubbing the back of his neck and smiling nervously. "I mean, I hope it was good advice, but different things work on different people."

"Y' talk to a lotta girls?" Sweden asked.

Finland wished he would look away. Those bluish-green eyes were boring into him like drills, making him feel increasingly uncomfortable. Why did it suddenly feel like he was on trial? Had he said something to upset Sweden? Then again, he had already learned that he couldn't read the genie with any degree of accuracy. Maybe he was wrong again.

"N-not really," Finland replied, fidgeting nervously. "I mean, I was interested in girls a little when I was younger, but some things happened in my life that made me think it was better if I didn't get too close to anyone…"

"Why?" Sweden asked, and Finland was glad that the tone in his voice was considerably gentler than the look in his eyes.

"It seemed safer not to," Finland said, averting his eyes to the sheets he was sitting on.

There was a long silence between them, and Finland glanced up eventually, wondering if Sweden was dropping the matter. Sweden was still watching him, though, his face unreadable as ever. Finland wondered what Sweden was thinking right now, because even though he had no idea what it might be, he was certain that the gears in Sweden's head were turning.

"Not ever'one out there wants t' hurt ya," he said, his voice scarcely more than a whisper.

Finland went back to watching the sheets again, picking at them absentmindedly. "It's… not myself I'm worried about."

"Not ever'one can be hurt," Sweden countered.

Finland frowned, not sure what Sweden meant by that. Suddenly Finland remembered an exchange he'd had with Sweden a month or so ago, when they'd been on their way to Pohjola. Sweden had accidentally walked straight into a tree, knocking himself off his feet. Finland had helped him up, asking him if he was ok, and Sweden had replied _"Genies don' feel phys'cal pain." _

"Are you talking about genies?" Finland asked.

This had actually already occurred to Finland. He hadn't known for certain before Sweden had confirmed it, but he had been pretty sure from the get go that genies were a lot tougher than humans. That was why Sweden had seemed like the perfect candidate for his first real friend in five years. He'd planned to let only Sweden into his heart, but opening the door wide enough for him had allowed others to slip in as well. People like Sealand and America, who were less indestructible than Sweden, and it made Finland uneasy, but he couldn't bring himself to push them away.

Then again, what made Sweden so sure that he was worried about hurting people in a physical sense? He knew Sweden had feelings that could potentially be wounded, even if Finland wasn't very good at reading those feelings. Had he done something to make Sweden suspect that he was violent? The thought made him anxious.

It appeared that Sweden hadn't expected him to guess the meaning behind his statement so quickly because he dropped the knife he'd been using to cut the vegetables. He bent down to pick it up, his smoky head passing right through the surface of the table, but he fumbled with it a few times before he managed to get his fingers closed around it securely. Was this a display of embarrassment? Finland wasn't sure why Sweden would be embarrassed by this. He watched in puzzlement as Sweden turned his attention very deliberately back to chopping the vegetables, giving the job more focus than it really merited. Suddenly a question occurred to him.

"What about you, Sve?" Finland asked.

Sweden's head jerked up so fast that it looked painful, and Finland winced on Sweden's behalf, even though he knew Sweden couldn't feel pain. He stared at him fiercely, his eyes wide and wild-looking, and before he could stop himself, Finland cried out in fear.

"I…I just thought you seemed like the type of guy who might be popular with women," Finland squeaked. "I'm sorry, it really was none of my business, was it? Never mind!"

Sweden looked down at the pile of half diced vegetables in front of him. Was he blushing? The firelight was too flickery to tell for certain. There must be a reason why he was taking so long with his reply, why he had suddenly decided that he would rather watch what his hands were doing rather than to meet Finland's eyes the way he had so intently since the beginning of this conversation. Did this mean that Sweden had feelings for someone? The thought gave him a weird feeling in his chest that he couldn't place, but it wasn't particularly pleasant.

Then Sweden mumbled something, and it was so quiet that Finland almost missed it. "Not int'rested 'n women."

A little "Oh!" slipped from Finland's lips before he could stop himself. Sweden was definitely blushing now, and his eyes were darting around as if he wanted to find and slip away into his lamp.

"Do… do you prefer men, Sve?" Finland asked timidly, unable to keep the surprise out of his voice even though he was doing his best to make sure that his tone couldn't be mistaken for judgmental.

Sweden said nothing, but Finland could see him going redder, and he could even feel himself starting to blush for some reason.

"It's ok if you do!" Finland said quickly, seeing that Sweden's outline was starting to become more obviously smoky as he prepared to make a hasty retreat. "It doesn't bother me at all! Actually, I… I've been starting to wonder recently if maybe I do too."

Sweden resolidified instantly, his intense bluish-green eyes back on Finland's violet ones. "…Really?"

Finland nodded. "I've been trying not to think about it too much because… even though I've decided to try and move on with my life I'm still not sure I deserve…" He trailed off, shaking his head slightly. "But if I let my guard down, I find myself noticing attractive men more than I do women."

"Fin…" Sweden began. He seemed like he wanted to say something more, but it wasn't forthcoming.

Finland smiled. "The more I spend time with you, the more I realize how much I missed having friends these past few years. It's nice to have someone understanding to talk to about things when you're feeling uncertain."

"Mm," Sweden agreed. "Anytime y' feel like talkin'… 'm here."

Finland felt touched by this offer. He wondered if there might come a time in their relationship when he might be able to talk to Sweden about the topic that had weighed so heavily on his mind every day for the past five years without fearing that Sweden would give him a startled look of repulsion and turn his back on him. Finland genuinely hoped that Sweden might be the one he could help him put his nightmares behind him.

"Thank you," he said softly. "Please don't hesitate to talk to me about anything that comes to your mind either."

The look in Sweden's normally intense gaze softened and his eyes crinkled slightly at the corners. It took Finland a moment to realize that the genie was smiling, but once he realized it, he wasn't sure how he could have missed it. Seeing it caused another strange sensation in Finland's chest, though this one was markedly more pleasant than the last.

"Wow, you have an amazing smile, Sve," Finland breathed before he could stop himself.

At that moment, Sealand made his reappearance, drawing Finland's attention before he could notice how brilliantly his compliment had made Sweden blush.

"Is dinner ready yet?" he asked. "I'm starving."

"'Lmost," Sweden muttered.

He finished chopping the remainder of the vegetables in about two seconds, his hand moving so quickly that it blurred, and dumped them into the pot hanging over the fire. His head still filled with Sweden's amazingly handsome smile, Finland tried to turn his attention to Sealand's explanation of his increasingly extravagant plans about how he would sweep Liechtenstein off her feet.

* * *

><p>"Ok," Finland said slowly. "Do you have your money with you?"<p>

"Right here," Sealand confirmed, patting his coat.

"Make sure you keep your purse tied tightly to the inside of your coat," Finland warned. "There might be pickpockets around."

"I know," Sealand said, straightening his coat nervously. "Do I look ok?"

Finland reached out and smoothed down a mussed lock of Sealand's hair, then smiled. "Very cute."

"Mum," Sealand groaned. "I don't wanna be cute! Five-year-olds are cute. I wanna be fit! Smooth! Cool!"

"Y' look great," Sweden assured him. "She'll be trippin' over 'erself wantin' t' holdjer hand."

Sealand's cheeks went pink at the thought. "You think so?"

"Of course!" Finland chimed in. "Now, don't forget to meet us at the statue in the middle of the square when the moon is right over that building. We'll be worried if you're late. And don't leave the marketplace, ok? If you two get too cold, or decide that you're not having fun anymore, let's see… Is there some way you could signal us?"

"I'll use my magic to make an ice cube form inside your glove," Sealand suggested.

"Ok, good," Finland agreed. "And if you do that, we'll meet by the statue and we can take Liechtenstein home."

"She's comin' this way," Sweden said, nodding in the direction in which he saw Liechtenstein approaching.

Sealand stiffened nervously and glanced in Liechtenstein's direction, adjusting his hat compulsively and swallowing hard. Sweden had to admit that she looked very pretty in her waist-length fitted white coat lined with white fur and ankle-high fur-lined white boots, her hair pulled back in a ponytail with a red ribbon, her long bangs framing her chill-flushed cheeks. He was sure that her beauty was only making poor Sealand even more nervous. Finland patted Sealand's shoulder comfortingly.

"Try relax, ok?" Finland advised. "Just relax and be yourself and I'm sure you'll do fine."

"Good evening, Sealand," Liechtenstein said, with a demure smile. "Good evening, Mr. Finland and Sweden."

"Hello, Liechtenstein," Finland replied pleasantly. Sweden nodded his greeting.

"Hi," Sealand croaked. There was a slightly awkward silence in which they all waited for one of them to say something else. Seeing that Sealand was tongue-tied, Finland came to his rescue.

"Are you looking forward to visiting the marketplace?" he asked.

"Yes, very much," Liechtenstein said. "I have been awaiting it eagerly ever since Sealand asked me to accompany him."

"How nice! Sealand's been looking forward to spending the evening with you too, haven't you Sea?" Finland prompted.

Sealand blushed and looked down at his shoes. "Y-yeah."

"Shall we head down to the square, then?" Finland suggested.

Finland began to lead the way, and Sweden stuck close at his side, wondering whether this would be an acceptable time to take Finland's hand. No, perhaps he ought to wait until they parted ways with Sealand and Liechtenstein. He stuck his hand in his coat pocket, flexing his fingers longingly in anticipation of the warmth of Finland's touch. Sealand and Liechtenstein fell in quietly behind them.

"Um… I-if you see anything you want at the market, let me know," Sealand stammered. "They gave me some money, so… yeah."

"That's very kind, thank you," Liechtenstein said. "I know a stand that always has wonderful hot chocolate and pastries. Perhaps we could visit that one?"

"Oh, yeah," Sealand agreed. "Brilliant."

"I wonder which stand we should visit first," Finland mused cheerfully, looking up at Sweden.

"Germ'ny said his stand'd be sellin' hot mulled wine," Sweden recalled. "Kinda hoped we could try some."

"Ooh, that does sound good," Finland agreed. "Germany's alcohol is always delicious!"

Sweden's cheeks pinked happily at the thought of sharing a couple drinks with Finland as they wandered the aisles of the marketplace and chatted amicably under the flickering lights of the gas street lamps. The urge to take his hand grew even stronger, but he clenched his hands in his pockets, telling himself to wait.

"Well, here we are," Finland announced.

The toyshop was quite close to the square where the marketplace was being held so it hadn't taken them long to reach it. Dusk was newly fallen meaning that the stands had just opened for the festivities, but there were already quite a few people milling around. As they made their way deeper into the square, the gas lamps began to flare to life, bathing their surroundings in a warmer glow than what had been provided by the icy white moon hanging low in the sky.

"Ah!" Liechtenstein exclaimed suddenly, touching Sealand's arm to get his attention and making him jump. "Oh, I apologize for startling you; I just noticed that the hot chocolate stand I had told you about is right over there."

"Oh yeah… Should we go over there then?" Sealand asked, flushing at the way he had allowed himself to be surprised so badly. Liechtenstein nodded.

"We'll see you later, you two," Finland said with a smile. "Have fun."

"Thank you, I'm sure we will enjoy ourselves," Liechtenstein replied, returning his smile.

Finland and Sweden watched them approach the stall and begin perusing the pastries for sale.

"They make a cute pair, don't they?" Finland commented, looking up at Sweden with a smile.

The genie nodded. "Might have t' get t' know 'er a bit more b'fore I can say fer sure I'm ok with 'er datin' our son."

Finland laughed lightly, and Sweden cocked his head in puzzlement, unaware that he'd said anything funny. "I'm sorry for laughing, you just sounded like such a dad just now."

Sweden's cheeks pinked with pleasure, but he lowered his face into his scarf to hide it.

"Shall we see if we can find Germany's stall?" Finland suggested.

"Mm," Sweden agreed.

Finland began to wander down a row of stalls and Sweden stuck close at his side, matching his leisurely pace easily. Darkness was settling more fully, but the stark white moon above, the gas street lamps, and the colored magical lights radiating from the market stands kept it at bay. Sweden could see Finland's misty breath rising into the air, the glow of the surrounding stalls reflecting enchantingly in his violet eyes, a small smile on his lips as he turned his head this way and that to view the various goods on display. It occurred to him that this might be a good time to take Finland's hand, but there were so many people around that might see them that he couldn't bring himself to do it.

"Oh, look at these gloves!" Finland exclaimed, stopping at the tailor's stand and indicating a pair of brown leather gloves whose insides were lined with fur. "I bet these would be really warm… I've been needing a new pair of gloves. This pair is starting to get a hole in the finger."

He slipped them on, flexing his fingers, checking the size and feel. Sweden noticed a hat on display that seemed to match it, a large, puffy round one that had little flaps to keep the wearer's ears warm. He picked it up and set it on Finland's head. Finland looked up at him, his expression one of mild surprise. His eyes were shining, his cheeks bright pink, and Sweden wasn't sure whether it was because of the chill or something else, but it made him start to blush again either way.

"Thought it might go with th' gloves," he mumbled.

Finland pulled the hat on more snugly, his action slow and thoughtful. Finland looked adorable in that hat, Sweden thought, his chest clenching at the sight. Oh, how he longed to sweep him into his arms and kiss him. The blond, wavy-haired, bearded man who was manning the booth flashed Sweden a knowing smile and held up a mirror so that Finland could see how he looked. Finland turned sideways, considering the hat, and then faced the mirror straight on again. Sweden could see a smile growing on his lips.

"I think I like it. What do you think?" he asked, grinning up at Sweden. "Does it suit me?"

Sweden nodded quickly. He didn't know how Finland could possibly be more adorable. Finland turned the gloves over, looking for a price tag, made a noise of disappointment when he saw the figure written there. "Ahh… I knew nice gloves like this wouldn't be cheap, but these really are too much for someone like me to afford… This hat is out of my price range too…"

Seeing his chance to make Finland happy, Sweden reached into his coat pocket for his wallet.

"'ll take these," he told the tailor, pointing to the gloves and hat.

"Thank you very much, monsieur," the tailor said smoothly. "Would you like them wrapped up?"

"No thanks," Sweden replied as he dug out the proper amount.

"S-Sve, no…!" Finland gasped. "I wasn't trying to hint that you should-! Come on, put them back! I can't let you spend that much on me!"

Pointedly ignoring Finland's protests, Sweden deposited the handful of gold coins into the tailor's outstretched hand. Finland continued to flail and stammer, flustered by the expensive gifts, but Sweden nodded his thanks to the tailor and ushered Finland away from the tailor's stand stubbornly.

"Sveeee," Finland moaned, pouting up at him. "You worked hard for that money. You shouldn't have blown it all on me. I can't possibly pay you back for something this nice."

"Don' worry 'bout payin' me back," Sweden insisted. "'S a holiday gift b'tween friends. I wanted t' give it to ya. A genie's got no need fer money anyway."

"Well, I guess so, but…" Finland continued to look troubled.

Sweden turned his gaze from him, steeling himself for what he was about to say.

"'F ya really wanna pay me back…" He paused, the words sticking in his throat. "Y'… y' could smile…"

"What?" Finland said, his tone tinged with disbelief. "Don't be silly, I have to give you something more than that. Something of equal value."

Sweden wished he could express to Finland that he'd buy him a thousand expensive gifts just to see him smile even once, that one soft, sweet upward curve of his lips was more valuable to him than a mountain of gold coins, but he was too embarrassed to say that.

"Two smiles, then," Sweden suggested shyly. "Please."

Finland was quiet for a moment, and Sweden stole a glance at him curiously. His master was staring at him in wonder.

"You're… really serious?" he asked, and there was a vulnerable note in his voice. Sweden reached out and touched Finland's shoulder uncertainly, wanting to soothe whatever doubt there was in Finland's heart that kept him from believing how much one of his smiles meant to him.

"Mm," he confirmed.

Finland bowed his head in silence, and Sweden wondered if he'd said something wrong, if he had made Finland sad or angry somehow. But when Finland lifted his face again, there was a heartrendingly sweet and tender smile there. His eyes were shining, and Sweden wondered if they were full of tears, but the ambient light was too dim to tell for sure.

"Thank you," he said softly.

Sweden's mind went blissfully blank. The only thought that penetrated his elatedly numb mind was the word "cute" about a thousand times. It took every ounce of strength Sweden possessed not to pounce on Finland and kiss the living daylights out of him.

"Hn," he said dazedly. "…Welcome…"

* * *

><p>"Ah! There it is, Sve!" Finland gasped, pointing to the thoroughfare off to Sweden's right.<p>

He almost spilled some of the candied, toasted almonds that Sweden had bought him in his eagerness to point out their destination. Germany's stand selling hot mulled wine stood about six stalls down from them, a small group of people of varying levels of intoxication milling around it. Germany wasn't alone in working the stall; a mischievous-looking white-blond-haired, red eyed man whom Finland recognized as Germany's older brother stood behind him, mixing the wine in a large pot that hung over a fire while Germany took orders and accepted cash from his customers.

Italy was there as well, but he appeared to be more of a nuisance than a help. Actually, he looked rather tipsy as he giggled at nothing in particular, clinging to Germany and nuzzling his face into his muscular chest. Every so often, his hand would sneak around Germany's back, making a beeline for his firm butt. Germany would redden and growl at him, smacking his hand sharply and making a half-hearted effort to pry Italy off of him with his elbow as he tried to simultaneously give someone their change. There was certainly no lack of energy at that stall. As they drew closer, their noses were filled with the delicious aroma of warm citrus and spices.

"Germany! Good evening!" Finland called as he and Sweden approached the stand.

"Who-?" Germany squinted through the lights surrounding his stand and into the darkness beyond, trying to make out their faces. "Oh, Finland, Sweden. I was wondering if I might see you here."

"Meant t' come here first but there're a lotta stalls b'tween yers 'n' th' toyshop," Sweden explained.

"I understand," Germany assured him. "I appreciate you taking the time to visit. Can I interest you in some mulled wine?"

"What kind do you recommend?" Finland asked. "We had something similar to this in my village, but these kinds sound a little different than what I'm used to."

"My personal favorite is the one with the fiery rum-soaked sugarloaf," Germany replied. "It's something of a treat for the eyes as well as the mouth."

"We'll try that 'ne," Sweden said.

"Aw hell yeah, it's about time someone ordered something I could set on fire!" Germany's brother Prussia cheered from the back of the stall.

Germany looked a little uneasy. "Just be careful with the flame, Brother. You've got that big pot of wine in front of you that could easily burn your face off if you accidentally ignite the fumes."

"Yeah, yeah, I hear you _mom_," Prussia said mockingly as he ladled some warm wine into a glass bowl, hurriedly adding a few cinnamon sticks, orange slices, and vanilla pods, before putting a narrow metal bridge over the opening of the bowl.

Finland and Sweden watched in curious silence as Prussia produced a cone-shaped lump of sugar and set in on the bridge. He soaked it in an amber liquid and bent down to pick up a flaming stick from the tinder pile that was heating the large pot of wine. Prussia stood off to the side of the smaller bowl of wine that he was using to prepare their order, grinning and wiggling his eyebrows at them in anticipation before lighting the sugar on fire.

"Wooow," Finland said in awe as the sugar cake was engulfed in light blue flames.

"Right?" Prussia said enthusiastically. "And look, I didn't even blow myself up!"

"You haven't put the fire back in the pit yet, Brother," Germany reminded him tensely, eying the flaming stick in Prussia's hand.

"I'm getting there, West; don't get your undies in a bundle," Prussia assured him, tossing the stick carelessly back under the pot with the others.

"Be more careful!" Germany snapped.

Finland and Sweden hardly noticed Germany's tension; they were too busy watching the sugar melt and drip into the wine below. Something nudged Finland's hand, and it registered vaguely to him that it was Sweden's hand. He curled his fingers around it absentmindedly, still transfixed by the flames.

When Prussia was satisfied that enough sugar had made it into their wine, he scooped the deep red liquid into a pair of cups and handed them to Finland and Sweden. Finland released Sweden's hand to accept the wine and began to dig in his pocket for some money. Sweden beat him to it, dropping the coins into Germany's hand before Finland had even managed to get his wallet open. Finland pouted up at the genie, but Sweden returned his gaze with one that seemed to suggest that he'd break Finland's wrist if he tried to argue about money again. He trembled slightly in fear but managed to bite his tongue and simply give up, taking a sip of his wine instead.

"So?" Prussia said eagerly. "Pretty kickass, right? Feel free to praise me as much as you want!"

"This is really good!" Finland admitted in awe. "The balance of sweetness and spice is perfect!"

"Kesesese!" Prussia laughed. "No one makes it like the awesome me!"

"As much as I hate to admit it, Brother does have a certain knack for it," Germany sighed. "I can't figure out what he does differently."

"It's my secret ingredient," Prussia bragged, "a hundred gazillion milliliters of pure, undiluted awesome!"

"I wonder if that would taste good in pasta," Italy hummed, speaking up for the first time. He giggled again and grabbed Germany's butt.

Finland and Sweden decided to depart before Germany began shouting at Italy again. A light snow began to fall, adding to what was already underfoot. The two of them wandered aimlessly in relative silence as they sipped their hot wine. Festival stalls were beginning to thin out in the area of the square that they were approaching. Finland's steps slowed to a stop at the edge of the festival grounds, and Sweden stopped as well.

It was soothing here, the warm glow of the festivities at their backs, the babble of the marketplace slightly muted with distance, snow falling around them, hot drinks in hand, simply enjoying each other's peaceful company. Now that Finland was no longer surrounded by a hundred things he wanted to look at all at once, his mind was allowed to focus on other things, namely the exchange that had taken place between himself and Sweden when the genie had bought him his new hat and gloves.

Finland could understand that Sweden had no use for money, but whether he needed it or not, it was a reward that he had received for hours and hours of hard work. He may not require the things that money could buy, but did it not have any value to him simply because he had worked so hard for it? And yet he had spent it all on Finland without even batting an eye. It was a difficult thing for Finland to wrap his mind around.

More puzzling still was what Sweden had requested as compensation for his expensive gifts. Finland recalled his facial expression as he had asked Finland to smile for him, but it was no good; it betrayed nothing of what was going on in his head. His voice, however, had been a bit more telling, albeit not much. Perhaps it was his imagination playing tricks on him, but the genie's voice had sounded almost shy. What could it mean?

Finland had to admit that if he disregarded Sweden's facial expressions and tried to draw conclusions based on his words and actions alone, he would be awfully suspicious that he was motivated by something other than simple friendship. It was hard to imagine, but it almost seemed as though Sweden might have…

"Y' cold?" Sweden's voice interrupted his thoughts softly.

"Hmm… maybe a little," Finland admitted, feeling a touch disoriented after being back to reality from the realm of deep thought so suddenly. "But the gloves and hat help a lot, so thank you."

"Hn," Sweden grunted. "Y' still owe me 'nother smile. Don't forget."

Finland looked up into Sweden's face. As usual, his expression was completely unhelpful in allowing him to guess what the genie was thinking. For what was by no means the first time, Finland found himself wishing he could understand Sweden better.

It had been more than a month since Finland had proposed to Sweden that they form a friendship; he ought to have reached a point where he was starting to kind of get a feel for Sweden's personality, and yet he had figured out very little. Sweden continued to surprise him over and over again.

Then something occurred to him: there was a very simple way for him to understand Sweden more. Why hadn't he thought of it earlier? The answer was staring him right in the face.

"Sve... I think… I think I have a wish," Finland began, his heart suddenly beating rather fast for some reason. "But I want to leave it up to you. As to whether you'll grant it for me, I mean."

Sweden gave him a long, hard look, and Finland had to exercise considerable willpower not to back away in intimidation. "Even 'f I didn't wanna, I wouldn't have a choice. Genie's gotta do what 'is master says."

"But I'm giving you a choice this time," Finland insisted. "This wish is pretty different from the ones I've made so far. It's just… it's a wish that could potentially mean a sacrifice on your part, and I don't want to invade your privacy without your permission. Ahh… please feel free to tell me if I'm overstepping my boundaries here."

If Finland thought the look Sweden had given him before was hard, it was nothing to the one he was giving him now. Finland stared at his boots instead so that he wouldn't have to meet it. He licked his lips nervously and rambled on.

"We've been friends for about a month now and I feel like I should sort of be starting to get on the same wavelength with you, but it just hasn't happened. I never quite know what you're thinking or feeling, and I know it's not your fault. It's just that I can't read you at all. Sometimes I'm sure you're thinking one thing, and then you tell me what you're thinking and it turns out that my guess was completely wrong. Judging by your actions, I can tell you're a really nice person, one that I'd like to get to know even better, but it feels like my inability to read you even a little bit is kind of getting in the way. So… I guess what I'm trying to say is… I'd like to be able to understand you better. Please."

"Y' wanna… understand me?" Sweden repeated. He sounded a little surprised.

"Yes," Finland said breathlessly. "If you decide you wouldn't mind granting that wish, I'll leave it up to you how you'd like to interpret it. Do what you feel comfortable with."

There was a long silence from the genie, and Finland couldn't help looking up at him again cautiously. His face was as unreadable as ever, but Finland thought that his cheeks looked a little red.

"No one's… ever asked me fer somethin' like that b'fore," he said quietly.

"If… if you don't want to grant it, I understand," Finland said quickly. "No hard feelings."

"…'ll grant it," Sweden replied.

His cheeks were definitely red now, and it made Finland start to redden for some reason as well. Sweden raised a finger, shooting a fine stream of delicate gold sparks from it that swirled briefly around Finland's body like an ethereal ribbon before being carried away on the wind. Finland blinked and looked into Sweden's eyes, expecting to gain some sudden insight into his mind, but nothing came to him. Even though he waited, he felt no different than he had before Sweden had supposedly granted his wish.

"Did… it work?" he asked tentatively.

Sweden reached out slowly and rested a hand on Finland's shoulder. Suddenly it hit him like a tidal wave; a huge rush of foreign emotions. Happiness, nervousness, hope, uncertainty, embarrassment, but most overwhelmingly a surge of love so strong that it made Finland feel lightheaded.

"Wh-what just…?" he began, swaying slightly.

Sweden removed his hand from Finland's shoulder and the wave of emotions receded as suddenly as it had come. Finland blinked at him, dazed and confused. He stretched out his own hand this time, and touched Sweden experimentally. The surge of feelings was back, just as strong as before, and it vanished again when he drew his hand away.

"Is… is that what you're feeling right now?" Finland asked, completely shocked.

Sweden nodded, still blushing rather furiously. Finland was stunned. He knew that Sweden must have had feelings that he couldn't detect, but he never would have guessed that that seemingly indifferent façade could possibly hide such intense emotions. How was it even possible to have such a perfect poker face?

"And… those feelings… Are those for…?" he trailed off shyly, hardly daring to believe such a thing could be true.

"Fer you," Sweden confirmed, his voice scarcely more than a whisper.

"Oh, Sve…" Finland breathed.

Well, he'd be lying if he said that he hadn't done just the tiniest bit of fantasizing about Sweden entertaining romantic notions toward him, but it had been an idle sort of fantasy. It was never something he'd actually expected to come true. Now that he was faced with the reality of it, it brought him a confused mess of feelings that he wasn't sure where to even start sorting through.

"…Y' ok?" Sweden asked softly.

"I'm sorry, I…" Finland swallowed. "I'm just… surprised. I had no idea… I mean, I suppose I should have guessed, but…"

He looked into Sweden's eyes, and though his expression gave nothing away as usual, he was certain that Sweden was waiting for a reply as to whether Finland felt the same.

"W-would it be alright if I had some time to think about it?" Finland asked. "I mean, I definitely care about you a lot. I'm just not sure yet if what I'm feeling is the kind of love you're hoping for. And there are some things that have happened in my life that I still have to face…"

He looked down at his boots again, his heart beating almost painfully fast. He could feel the urge to ramble as he always did when he was uncomfortable rising within him, but he tried to fight it down. He really tried, but he just couldn't help himself.

"Ever since I met you, I knew it was a sign that I was supposed to finally put that whole ordeal to rest. Using magic was the only way it would be possible, and you've obviously got the power and all, but… I don't feel ready to face it. The possibility that maybe things weren't the way they seemed has been the only thing carrying me though these past few years, and if that possibility were to be crushed, I… I don't know what I would do. I know I can't move on until I confront my past, and I wouldn't feel right getting into a relationship without dealing with all that first, but I'm afraid …"

Finland could feel his throat starting to grow tight, and he swallowed hard, ordering himself not to tear up. He'd never talked to anyone about what had happened or even attempted to; this was the closest he'd ever come to doing so. It seemed like if there was anyone who should be able to understand what he was going through, it should be Sweden, and he trusted him more than anyone. And yet the faces of his brothers and friends, people who had known and trusted him his whole life, when they had found out continued to haunt him.

"Ahh… I rambled again," Finland mumbled. He took a deep breath and released it slowly, trying to get a hold of himself. "I must look so weak to you."

"Wasn't thinkin' that 't all," Sweden told him. "'N' ya c'n have 's much time 's y' need t' think 'bout it."

"Thank you," Finland said, "for being so patient with me."

Sweden rubbed his shoulder soothingly, sending another wave of love crashing over him with his gentle, reassuring touch. It felt good, Finland thought, to be reassured that he was loved even when he felt like a bit of a mess inside. He leaned his head lightly against Sweden's shoulder, wanting to bask in this reassurance for just a little longer. The genie's arm curled shyly around him, holding him there, and Finland could feel Sweden's slight ache of disappointment over the fact that he hadn't received an answer to his feelings being calmed by the joy their contact brought him.

"I… I wonder if it would be ok for make another selfish request," Finland said hesitantly.

"Hmm?" Sweden said.

Finland bit his lip, trying to gather the nerve to put his desire into words. Perhaps he had already fulfilled his selfish quota for one night by asking Sweden to bare his soul to him.

"…Never mind," Finland decided. "I've already asked too much of you tonight."

"Y' know how I feel 'boutcha," Sweden mumbled. "How c'n y' think I wouldn't at least wanna hear yer r'quest?"

Finland hesitated a moment more before the words spilled from his lips. "Please don't give up on me?"

"Wasn't plannin' to," Sweden replied.

And Finland knew he meant it.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N**: This is way overdue, but thank you for all your wonderful reviews! They really motivate me to keep going on this story! I hope you'll enjoy this chapter as well.

* * *

><p>The evening of the holiday marketplace, which had started out on a relative high note, petered out into a sort of subdued melancholy by the time Finland and Sweden went to meet Sealand and Liechtenstein at the agreed upon time. Finland felt bad about not being able to give Sweden a clear answer to his confession.<p>

If the circumstances had been different, Finland was sure he would have given a relationship with Sweden a try even if he hadn't quite figured out what his feelings toward the genie were yet. If he hadn't been such a naïve, stupid child he could have allowed himself to be blissfully swept away in the sweet, tender tidal wave of Sweden's earnest love.

"How d'we pr'gress from here?" Sweden asked tentatively as they made their way towards the stature where they had promised to meet the children.

"Hmm?" Finland asked.

"'S it ok 'f I keep payin' 'ttention to ya, 'r wouldja prefer I give ya s'me space?"

Finland blushed. "I… I'm fine with whatever you'd like to do."

"Good," Sweden mumbled. "Wasn't sure I could stand leavin' y' 'lone."

Finland wasn't sure he was doing the right thing here. What if it turned out that there wasn't room for Sweden in his heart with all the guilt that was overrunning it? He would have built Sweden's hopes up for nothing. That would be even crueler than shooting him down immediately. But then as Sweden shyly took his hand and the feeling of being loved crashed over him again he couldn't bring himself to pull away.

As they drew closer to the meeting place, Finland saw Sealand and Liechtenstein approaching from the opposite direction. Clearly their date had gone well; Sealand was chatting with her animatedly, his previous nervousness apparently forgotten. Liechtenstein was sporting a new purse, red and in the shape of a cute little bear face, giggling behind her hand at whatever Sealand was saying. Their fingertips were linked tentatively. When the two of them saw Sweden and Finland coming towards them, they hurriedly dropped each other's hands as if they expected to be scolded or ridiculed.

"Perfect timing!" Finland commented brightly, pushing aside his uncertainty about his relationship with Sweden for the time being. "Did you two have a good time?"

"Yes, I enjoyed myself very much," Liechtenstein said politely, her cheeks pinking slightly.

"Yeah… it was brilliant," Sealand agreed.

Finland saw distinctly the signs of puppy love on his adopted son's face and couldn't help chuckling. He could feel Sweden's amusement coursing through him as well.

"I'm glad to hear that," Finland said. "We had fun, too, didn't we, Sve?"

"…Mm," Sweden replied.

"Well, we'd better get Miss Liechtenstein home before her parents worry," Finland suggested with a smile.

"I live with my older brother," Liechtenstein corrected him. "But he is rather prone to worrying about me."

"I see," Finland said as the four of them began to move in the direction of home. "It must be nice to have a brother that cares about you so much."

Finland experienced a sharp pang of regret and longing at the memory of his own brothers. He must have squeezed Sweden's hand because the genie suddenly looked at him, and Finland could sense his curiosity, puzzlement and concern.

"I… am grateful that he cares for me so deeply," Liechtenstein said slowly, a small frown crossing her pretty features. "I just wish he could see that I'm growing up and don't need to be protected quite as fiercely as I once did."

"Hmm… I guess that can be a difficult thing to accept," Finland mused. "But at least he let you come to the marketplace with us tonight. Maybe he's starting to come to his senses."

Liechtenstein looked down at her boots and nodded, but remained silent.

* * *

><p>"Is this your street?" Sealand asked.<p>

"Yes," Liechtenstein confirmed.

"Which house is yours?" he asked. "I could… I could walk you to your door. If you want, I mean."

"I'm sorry, my brother might already be in bed and I wouldn't want the sound of our voices to accidentally wake him," Liechtenstein explained. "Could you forgive me for saying goodbye to you here?"

"Oh… y-yeah, that's fine," Sealand stammered, taking this slightly disappointing development in stride. He gave Finland and Sweden a pointed look.

"Oh, uh… Isn't the moon nice, Sve? Let's go look at it from over there," Finland suggested, catching Sealand's hint that they wanted a little privacy.

Finland was sure that Sweden understood that this was an excuse to give the kids some space, but his suggestion brought some contented tingles racing up his fingers, which were still curled around Sweden's hand. Sealand and Liechtenstein began to converse in hushed voices as Sweden and Finland distanced themselves from them. Finland wasn't particularly interested in their conversation so he turned his gaze to the moon, his thoughts drawn once again to what had happened at the marketplace.

It took him a few moments to realize that Sweden was watching him, but when he noticed, he started slightly.

"I-is something wrong, Sve?" he stammered, his cheeks pinking over how long it had taken him to snap out of his trance.

"Nn, just wonderin' whatcha were thinkin' about," Sweden admitted.

"Just… trying to sort through my thoughts about things…" he sighed. "About you and me…"

"Sorry," Sweden said. "Didn't mean t' give ya even more stuff t' worry 'bout."

"You don't have to apologize for being honest with your feelings," Finland assured him. "Actually, I'm grateful for it. I feel like I should be apologizing to you for not being able to give you a straight answer right away."

Sweden shook his head. "Last thing I want's fer you t' rush inta somethin' like that just t' make me happy. Wantcha t' be happy too."

"That's really sweet," Finland said quietly. The impulse to embrace Sweden came over him, but he resisted, knowing it would be cruel to taunt the genie like that when he couldn't promise him romantic love.

At that moment Sealand rejoined them, having finished his goodbyes with Liechtenstein.

"Let's go home," he suggested airily. "It's cold."

Finland glanced over his shoulder and saw Liechtenstein letting herself into a house a little ways down the street. He couldn't help smiling a little as his adopted son began to lead the way.

"I take it things went well with Liechtenstein this evening?" he asked.

"Yeah," Sealand confirmed wistfully. "It was great."

He said nothing more, and Finland could see the slightly dazed look of someone who still couldn't believe how well his date had gone and was now basking in the happy afterglow. Finland decided to leave him to his thoughts, glad that at least one of them could be uncomplicatedly pleased with the way his evening had gone.

* * *

><p>When they returned to the toyshop from their evening out, it wasn't quite to the solitude that Sweden had expected. There were lights on in the backroom, and loud conversation coming from it. One voice was clearly America's, and the other voice belonged to a man whom Sweden didn't recognize. America's voice was pretty powerful under normal circumstances, but even he wasn't usually this loud. Sweden was pretty sure he was intoxicated.<p>

"Laugh all you want England, but the sampo is gonna be the most fucking epic thing you've ever seen in your life," America insisted. "Imagine no one having to worry about going hungry ever again! Think of the lives I'd save!"

"Don't you realize how daft you sound?" the man America had called England snorted. "A machine that produces an endless supply of food out of nothing? The whole idea is just laughably impossible!"

"It's not though!" America replied in frustration. "With your magic and my technical skill, I really think we could find a way! Just think England, we could do something really kickass for humankind!"

"Even if my magic was capable of such a thing, think of the repercussions," England slurred. Sweden heard him pause to take another drink. "People would become dependent on it, and eventually the thing would get broken or stolen and then they'd really be buggered, wouldn't they? On top of that, it'd put everyone in the food production business out of work, and everyone would want one of these machines so there'd be no end of wars over it…"

England's explanation met with silence. Finland pressed a finger to his lips and waved his family toward the back hallway so that they could go to their room without disturbing the boss and his guest.

"Your heart's in the right place, lad; you just haven't thought it through," England said with a sigh.

"You always shoot down my ideas," America grumbled, sounding genuinely hurt. "Look how far I've already come on my prototype. Look at what I've already managed to discover. Isn't that worth anything to you? I just… once in a while, I'd like to have a little approval from the person I love, to know that you're proud of me sometimes and not just annoyed or embarrassed by everything I do."

"America…"

Seeing that this conversation was taking a definite turn towards the personal, Sweden shooed a curious Sealand into their room and shut the door behind them.

* * *

><p>The next day was the official day of the holiday feast, meaning that the toyshop was closed and Sweden and Finland didn't have to work. They arose at a leisurely mid-morning hour, had a relaxed breakfast together of toasted bread with butter and porridge with bilberries, then dressed and began preparations for their extravagant dinner. The city would be having a public feast that night, but Finland and Sweden had agreed that they'd rather have a private celebration.<p>

Finland claimed that he wasn't a very good cook, but when he began to fix his rich-looking beef, pork and vegetable stew in a covered pot surrounded by hot coals, Sweden smelled the delicious aroma rising from it and couldn't wait to taste it. The genie helped with the cooking as well, glad to make himself useful to Finland. He prepared baked herring and a ham.

Sealand wanted to help as well, so Finland talked him through the process of mixing up gingerbread. Sweden couldn't help smiling slightly as he looked on, watching Finland laughingly scold Sealand for eating some of the uncooked gingerbread dough before dipping into the bowl himself. This was a new experience for Sweden, celebrating a human holiday, but he instantly decided that he loved it. Finland and Sealand looked so happy, and that filled him with joy as well.

Around early afternoon, Finland took a little break from cooking to knock on America's door, hoping to invite him to join them. Their boss appeared, shirtless, tousle-haired and pale, and probably a bit hungover, though he perked up a little at their invitation. He disappeared into the dark depths of his room again, making himself presentable, then joined their cooking party a bit later, looking as chipper as ever. America made a loaf of bread and some mashed potatoes to share.

A comfortable, warm atmosphere pervaded their little room, punctuated by delicious smells of baking delicacies, playful conversation, and laughter. When their preparations were finally finished, the four of them relaxed with some of America's hot spiced apple drink as they waited for the remaining dishes to finish cooking.

To Sweden's delight, Finland rested his head shyly against Sweden's shoulder while America and Sealand were wrapped up in a heated debate about the hero from the novel that America had recently lent Sealand. Sweden curled his arm surreptitiously around Finland's waist, inviting him to snuggle into his side. His chest filled with warmth as Finland scooted a bit closer, leaning against him more fully. Sweden longed to scoop him into his lap, hold him close and smother him in kisses, but he restrained himself.

By the time their feast was ready everyone was starving, having skipped lunch so that they would have extra room for dinner. They thanked the gods for the bountiful food and dug in eagerly. Finland brought out clear, vanilla-flavored alcohol for the adults, and served Sealand some more of the apple drink. America started to get a bit silly after a few drinks, and suggested they sing some holiday songs. Sweden glanced at Finland, wondering if this suggestion would get a negative reaction from him, but Finland seemed unperturbed.

America and Sealand began to sing loudly and off-key together, and much to Sweden's surprise, he heard Finland humming along, though he never sang the words.

It was starting to get late by the time America went back to his room. Sealand, his stomach full of good food, his body tired out from a day of cooking and celebration, climbed into bed without a fuss and quickly fell asleep, leaving Finland and Sweden alone together. Sweden scoured the supper dishes before Finland even had time to insist that he should be helping Sweden clean. Finland sighed in defeat and plunked down on the edge of his bed. Sweden wandered over and sat down beside him.

"Had fun t'day," Sweden said softly, not wanting to disturb Sealand. "Never celebrated a human hol'day b'fore."

Finland gave him a small smile. "I'm glad we were able to enjoy it together. Until today, there hasn't been anyone to celebrate with since I left home… It was nice to not be alone."

He turned his gaze to the dying fire in the hearth and fell silent, apparently lost in thought. Sweden watched him quietly, wondering what Finland might be feeling right now. He had seemed so happy and lively throughout the day, but now he looked a bit sad. If only the ability he had given Finland to read his emotions worked both ways. Perhaps Finland was just tired.

"Y' goin' t' bed?" Sweden asked.

"…Maybe in a bit," Finland replied distantly.

Sweden hesitated, wondering if this was supposed to be his cue that Finland wanted to be left alone for a while. He hoped not; he was pleased with the way his day with Finland had gone and wasn't ready to say good night quite yet.

"Should I go…?" Sweden asked tentatively.

"Please stay," Finland requested, his voice scarcely a whisper.

The genie wanted to be happy that Finland had requested his presence, but it felt wrong to be happy when Finland seemed distraught. He couldn't help wondering what had brought about such a sudden change. Would it be overstepping his boundaries to ask Finland what was wrong? Surely it would be alright, what with them being friends and all.

"Y' ok?" Sweden asked.

Finland didn't reply right away, but bowed his head and clutched at the hem of his shirt. For a moment, Sweden wondered if his question would be ignored.

"I've always hated… being without my family on this holiday," Finland said finally in a choked voice. "I mean, I always miss them, but this was one of the few days of the year when I could count on all of us being together, and now… Having fun with you, and Sealand, and America like a family… I love you all and I wouldn't trade you for the world, but it almost feels like I've replaced them and it seems so wrong and so cruel."

Sweden tried to understand what Finland was feeling, but he couldn't. He'd never had a family; he wasn't even really sure where he'd come from. On top of that, Finland was the only one he could remember ever truly caring for. He'd had masters that he'd kind of liked before, but none he'd loved. But he did understand feelings like guilt and pain, and he hated to see Finland experiencing either one.

"I could take y' t' see 'em," Sweden reminded him. "Just make a wish 'n' you're there."

"I thought about it…" Finland admitted, "but that would just put them and me in danger. I don't even know if they'd want to see me."

Sweden frowned in the dying firelight, trying to think of something soothing to say, or some alternative solution to Finland's dilemma.

"I… I wrote them a letter," Finland said, getting up from the bed and digging a folded piece of parchment from one of his dresser drawers. He hesitated, biting his lip as if debating whether to send it, before handing it slowly to Sweden.

"I wish for you to deliver it to them, to my brothers Norway and Iceland," Finland murmured. "If they won't accept it, tell them… tell them I understand… that I… that I l-love and m-miss them and… not a day goes by that I don't r-regret what I did and the pain it must've caused them…"

Sweden could tell that Finland was on the brink of tears and he longed to embrace him and reassure him that everything would be alright, but he knew that granting Finland's wish took priority over his own desires.

"Yer wish's my command," Sweden said, and with that he vanished.

* * *

><p>Sweden wasn't entirely sure where he was when he arrived outside Finland's family home, but it was clearly different than the place he'd come from. Instead of the relatively small, single story stone houses with thatched roofs that Sweden was used to seeing around Pohjola, this home was large and made of wood, with two stories, a shingled roof, and the top half of the front façade was also covered with wooden shingles. The different style of architecture might suggest that he wasn't even in the same country anymore, but he couldn't be sure.<p>

Sweden recalled Finland mentioning that he had had a nanny to care for him when he was a child, and that his parents had been in the import business, but he'd never fully made the connection that Finland's family must have been wealthy. It was certainly clear now that he was looking at his house. To his relief, he could see firelight dancing in the windows. Someone might still be awake to receive the letter. Straightening his glasses, Sweden approached the front door and knocked firmly.

It took a moment, but it wasn't too long before he heard footsteps on the other side of the door. A tall young man with a ruggedly handsome face and unruly golden blond hair that stood up in soft peaks around his head answered the door. Was this person related to Finland? He was good looking like Finland, but Sweden couldn't spy any noticeable family resemblance. Perhaps this man was a servant.

"Hey bro, you lost or somethin'?" the man asked with a grin.

Sweden shook his head with a prickle of annoyance. Why did this man immediately assume he was lost?

"Brought a letter fer Icel'nd 'n' Norway from their brother Finl'nd," Sweden explained, holding up the parchment. "They home?"

"No shit! From Finland, really?" the man said, looking genuinely surprised. "We haven't heard from him in forever! Hey Norge! Ice! Some guy's here with a letter from Fin!"

Sweden heard hurried footsteps from inside, including the skittering nails of what turned out to be a small white dog. So these were Finland's brothers. Sweden couldn't help being slightly disappointed to see that they weren't younger and older clones of Finland as he had imagined.

These two appeared to have none of Finland's contagious cheer and sunny sweetness. Their faces were basically expressionless, and they looked as though they didn't often laugh or smile. But he could see the resemblance at least. Norway and Iceland had the same blond silky hair (though the younger one's was more silvery), and similarly shaped violet eyes. Their builds were on the shorter, slenderer side, like Finland.

"Let me see," demanded the oldest brother, holding out his hand. Though his face was deadpan, there was no mistaking the urgency in his voice. "Where is Fin? Is he here?"

Sweden handed over the letter, shaking his head. "Said it would be dang'rous fer you 'n' him 'f he came t' see ya 'n person. 'E wasn't even sure y'd wanna see 'im at all."

The brothers looked slightly pained by these words.

"He's right, of course," the younger one said, "about it being dangerous… Let me see the letter, too."

The older brother held the letter up so that all three of them could read it, drawn into the depths of Finland's words so that they almost seemed to forget their guest. Sweden waited patiently for them to finish, half wishing that he could read the letter too. Though the brothers' expressions barely changed as their gazes darted across the paper, Sweden could see their eyes growing increasingly glassy with unshed tears. The other man read as well, his expression betraying his regret more openly.

Eventually, the older brother lowered the paper and dropped his gaze to the ground, seemingly lost in thought. The younger brother was biting his lip, his cheeks reddening as he tried to inconspicuously wipe his eyes. The other man seemed on the brink of tears as well. No one spoke, and Sweden wondered if he should leave them alone, but it seemed wrong to return to Finland without any sort of response.

"You're Sweden?" the older brother asked at last in a slightly choked voice.

"Mm," Sweden confirmed. His face pinked a little at the knowledge that Finland must have mentioned him in his highly emotional letter.

The older brother's Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed thickly.

"If you're going back to him, tell him…" he paused as if he had a multitude of things he wanted to say, but was trying to condense them into a more concise and perhaps less private version to pass on to Sweden. "Say we miss him, and even after what happened… we're not ashamed to call him our brother."

"These two guys have a hard time sayin' this kinda thing, so I'll say it for 'em," the man who had answered the door began, sniffling and mopping his face on his sleeve. "We love Fin. Always have, always will, even if he messes up as bad as he did."

"Tell him he's an idiot if he really thought we didn't," the younger brother mumbled, his head bowed so that Sweden couldn't see his face.

"I'll tell 'im," Sweden promised.

"Thanks for bringin' this letter," the other man said, clapping Sweden on the shoulder, "and for bein' there for Fin when we couldn't."

The older brother nodded jerkily and sniffled, seemingly determined not to let his tears fall. The younger brother bobbed his head slightly in farewell to Sweden, which the genie acknowledged with a nod before vanishing once more.

* * *

><p>Finland paced his room restlessly. Sweden still wasn't back. Was that a good sign or a bad one? It could mean that they were refusing to read the letter and Sweden was doing his best to persuade them. He certainly hoped that wasn't the case. Finland knew that his brothers could be awfully stubborn, and Norway wasn't the type who generally let himself be bullied or intimidated, even by someone as imposing as Sweden. It was hard to say if Iceland had quite the same nerves of steel, but Finland knew he wasn't likely to give in easily to intimidation either.<p>

He hardly dared himself to hope that Sweden might be taking a long time because his brothers were writing a reply for Sweden to bring back to him, but the possibility was lurking timidly in the back of his mind.

Suddenly, after what seemed like an eternity, there was a soft popping noise and Sweden was back. Finland hurried to his side, forgetting to be quiet so as not to wake Sealand, but the boy hardly stirred.

"Did they take the letter?" Finland asked urgently, wringing his hands.

"Practically tore it outta m' hands," Sweden said. "Couldn't wait t' read it. Yer brothers 'n' some other tall, spikey-haired guy read it right there 'n th' doorway."

"Denmark, Norway's boyfriend," Finland explained hurriedly. "Did they say anything? They didn't write back to me, did they?"

"They didn't write," Sweden replied. "Just told me what they wanted t' say to ya."

Finland stared up at Sweden desperately, his stomach a sick mess of fear and hope.

"Th' older brother said they miss ya, 'n' even after what happ'ned, they're not 'shamed t' call ya their brother. Denmark said they all love ya, always have, always will, ev'n 'f ya make mistakes. Th' younger brother saidjer 'n idiot 'f ya really thought they didn't… They were cryin', Fin."

Finland's head was swimming with an intoxicating mixture of relief, disbelief, and longing. His throat felt tight, making it difficult to breathe, his knees went weak, and he could feel his eyes filling up with tears. He'd imagined a scenario in which he somehow managed to deliver a letter to his brothers so many times over the years, but he rarely allowed himself to contemplate the possibility that they might forgive him. It would simply have made things too painful if he found out that they hadn't.

Now that he had their reassurance, he felt ashamed of himself for ever having doubted the resilience of their love for him. His brothers may not have been the most expressive or vocal people when it came to their feelings, but they had never given him any reason to believe that they would throw him away. How could he have doubted them like that? He sunk slowly to sit on the edge of the bed.

Finland didn't realize that he was crying until Sweden sat down beside him and pulled him close shyly. He blushed and wiped his eyes hurriedly on his sleeve, but the tears just kept coming back.

"S-sorry…" Finland sniffled, trying to get himself under control. "Sorry, I…"

"'S ok," Sweden whispered. "Y' don't hafta be sorry."

The genie's hands rested timidly on Finland's back, inviting him to take refuge in Sweden's arms if Finland so desired. Finland felt Sweden's gentle, patient love coursing through him, along with relief on Finland's behalf, contentedness to have him close, and sympathy for his pain. There wasn't an ounce of irritation or scorn at his weakness. Sweden was simply offering him comfort free from judgment, and there were no words to describe how deeply Finland appreciated this. Though there were still so many fears and uncertainties in his heart, at that moment Finland found himself wanting to love Sweden with all of his being.

Finland nuzzled his face into Sweden's shoulder, curling an arm hesitantly around Sweden's waist. Sweden's love and contentment surged at Finland's acceptance of his invitation. He laid his cheek on top of Finland's head and massaged his back soothingly, completely unperturbed by the steady trickle of tears wetting his shirt.

Finland cried himself into exhaustion that night. Sweden held him silently and patiently through the whole thing, rubbing his back, drying his tears. It was starting to get late by the time Finland got himself under control, the outpour of years of insecurities and loneliness leaving him thoroughly drained. Sweden coaxed Finland into lying down under the covers with him.

"Would you mind staying until I fall asleep?" Finland asked shyly.

"Course not," Sweden replied.

"Thank you," Finland mumbled, closing his eyes. "You're… you're wonderful, Sve."

A tiny, tired smile tugged at Finland's lips at Sweden's resulting wave of embarrassment and happiness.

* * *

><p>Finland wished he could say that he slept soundly that night. Indeed he would have, had it not been for the harsh, unexpected clanging of the emergency alarm bell at three in the morning, warning all the residents that their city had fallen under attack.<p> 


	7. Chapter 7

The harsh clanging of a bell suddenly split the silence of the early morning, jolting Finland awake abruptly. He jumped so badly that if Sweden, who hadn't been able to bring himself to part with Finland even after he'd fallen asleep, had been solid Finland would have banged the top of his head against the underside of Sweden's chin and injured himself. Finland looked around frantically in the dark, his still sleep-foggy mind trying to get a handle on what was going on. He could just make out the outline of Sealand sitting up in bed as well.

"Wh-what's that bell for?" Finland asked.

"It's an alarm we use whenever the city's in danger," Sealand replied. "Usually it means a fire, or a really bad storm, or…" He trailed off uneasily.

"'R what?" Sweden prompted.

"…Bandits." Sealand's voice sounded so odd and croaky and unlike himself as he said this that Finland gave a half glance around the dark room, straining his eyes for an uninvited stranger who might have spoken the word instead.

At that moment there was an urgent knock on their door. Sweden got swiftly out of bed, ushered Finland and Sealand behind the dresser to hide in case their guest was an unfriendly one, and answered the door.

"Is that Sweden?" America's voice asked hazily. Finland supposed he must still be feeling the effects of the alcohol they had shared during their feast. He emerged from behind the dresser and joined Sweden at the door. "The city's in trouble, you guys. I don't know exactly what's going on yet, but we gotta get out there and check it out. All able-bodied men are required to report to the nearest lookout tower to get an update on the situation and help if there's an emergency."

Sweden began gathering their coats. Finland looked at Sealand's dark outline nervously. Being twelve years old, Sealand was certainly old enough for his presence would also be required at the lookout tower, but Finland wanted him to stay where it was safe. Surely no one would notice if he hid Sealand away until the danger had passed.

"Wait, Sea," Finland said, putting a hand on the boy's shoulder to stop him from putting on his coat. "I don't want you going out there. It's not safe."

"This city is my home!" Sealand protested. "If it's in trouble, I have to help protect it! It's my job, as a man! Even if you don't want me to, it's the law!"

Finland bit his lip uncertainly, wondering whether to push the matter, when they heard a window in the shop break. The four of them hurried into the store to see what was going on.

Though there were no lights on in the shop, the light of the blaze from the house across the street whose roof was on fire streamed in through the open door to reveal several tall, dark silhouettes of three men. Taking no interest in the shocked occupants of the shop, the three men began ransacking the place, presumably looking for valuables.

"Hey, get the fuck out of my store!" America snarled, launching himself at one of the intruders.

He caught the man in the side, knocking him against a wall of shelves. Toys came cascading down on both of their heads, but America seemed to take little notice, drawing his fist back and punching the intruder hard in the gut. The other two intruders moved to intervene but Sweden and Finland darted forward to meet them.

Sweden grabbed his opponent around the waist, flipped him upside down and threw him hard on the floor as if he were nothing but a sack of flour. Finland raised his fist and tensed his body, preparing to deliver a blow to his opponent's solar plexus.

It wasn't until he was already closing in that he realized that the man was armed. The intruder slashed at him with a short sword, forcing Finland to swerve awkwardly to the side at the last second to avoid being gored. His foot caught on an uneven place on the wooden floor in the darkness and he stumbled. Finland broke his own fall with a sideways roll as the intruder swung at him again. The attack was a bit sloppy, leaving an opening for Finland to lunge at him again. He launched himself upward from his squatting position, head-butting his opponent hard in the ribs and sending him reeling.

The man hit the wall with a thud. Finland grabbed a wooden toy wagon from nearby by the handle and brought it crashing down on top of his attacker's head. The bandit crumpled unconscious to the floor, but Finland didn't waste time examining him, instead whirling around to see how America and Sweden were faring in their fights.

Sweden's opponent was lying a few feet away, most likely concussed, and America's was secured to the wall with what turned out to be ice frozen around his wrists and knees, his head lolling limply forward onto his chest.

"Is everyone alright?" America panted.

"Yes," "Fine," "Mm," Finland, Sealand and Sweden replied in unison.

"I guess this answers our question about what we're up against," America said grimly, scratching the back of his head. "I'm sure these're the same bandits that've attacked us a few times over the past six or seven years."

"Wait, so this is a regular occurrence?" Finland asked. "Shouldn't the city have done something about it by now?"

"I don't know all the details," America admitted, "but I do know they've been trying. I've heard they raise magical barriers around the wall of the city at night to keep intruders out, but that these bandits have a couple of really amazing magicians who manage to hack it every time. Besides that, I guess the bandits don't even all come from the same country, so it'd be hard to launch a counter attack. The casualties and damages aren't bad enough that the king wants to get the country involved in a war against all the bandits' homelands. Mostly they just steal food and supplies from us and a couple other surrounding cities, but they've also been known to set some houses on fire, and occasionally kill a few people."

Finland felt frustrated by the king's lack of action against the bandits, but knew it wouldn't be practical to get the country involved in multiple wars at once over such a small scale attack.

"We can talk about this later," Sealand said in a strained voice. "Right now there are people out there who need our help."

"Ah, shit, you're right," America agreed, shaking his head as if to clear it. "Dammit, why did they have to pick tonight to attack? That vodka stuff from dinner is making my head all fuzzy."

"'S prob'ly why they picked t'night," Sweden pointed out. "They prob'ly knew a lotta people'd been drinkin' at the feast 'n' would be less able t' d'fend themselves."

"Well, sober or not we can't really fight them off unarmed," America said. "I've got two extra weapons I can lend you guys, but one of you'll have to find your own."

"I don't need one," Sweden said quickly. "Give 'em t' Fin 'n' Sea."

"Right," America dashed off to gather his weapons, stumbling against the wall as he turned the corner too sharply.

"I'm gonna help the people whose house is burning!" Sealand said, hurrying outside toward the blaze. "My magic should be able to take care of it!"

Finland and Sweden followed close behind him, ready to defend him in case he was attacked while he was putting out the flame. The family who owned the home had formed a line between the burning house and the nearest well, trying desperately to pass along buckets of water quickly enough to put out the fire before there was nothing left to salvage.

Sealand cut in front of them, positioned himself in front of the burning home and waved his arm in an arc shape from his shoulder to the area straight out in front of him, aiming his gesture at the source of the fire. A stream of water, wavering and curling like a long, thick ribbon in the wind shot up from the direction of the pond Sweden had built behind the house and splashed down on the flame, extinguishing it with a smoky hiss.

The mother of the family who owned the house called to her closest son, alerting him to the fact that they didn't need any more water as the fire had already been put out. Then she turned to Sealand with teary eyes and threw her arms around his shoulders. Finland couldn't help being a little bit surprised by this. It was true that Sealand had saved her family's home, but he'd expected a more reserved show of gratitude from her. She had been suspicious and cold towards Sealand since she'd found him making a mess while rummaging through her trash while looking for food during his street urchin days.

"Thank you," she whispered shakily. "Thank you."

"You don't have to thank me," Sealand said, looking slightly uncomfortable. "Anyone with powers like mine would've done it."

The woman opened her mouth to reply, but America chose that moment to reappear, clutching the weapons he'd gone to retrieve. He held a bow and a sword out to Sealand, allowing him to take his pick. Sealand separated himself awkwardly from the woman and selected the sword, leaving Finland, to his relief, with the bow.

"C'mon," America said urgently. "We gotta make sure they haven't already managed to break into the storehouse. We'll be in serious trouble if they make off with the town's reserve food supply."

Sealand let America lead him away gratefully, leaving the woman to latch onto her son instead.

As they raced through the crowded city streets on their way to the storehouse, Finland's eyes were opened to the sheer scale of the attack. He didn't take the time to count, but it seemed like the bandits' numbers were easily in the hundreds. Everywhere he looked, there was pandemonium. Children were crying and screaming, some injured, many looking for their families whom they had lost in the chaos. Finland could see several houses burning, and townspeople in varying states of undress and sobriety chasing after or fighting the looters. His eyes fell upon at least four dead bodies.

Suddenly America vanished from his position in the lead. Finland, Sealand and Sweden looked around for him wildly, wondering where he'd gone. They turned just in time to see some unseen force hurling America into two men who had been running past in pursuit of a few bandits. America knocked the men off their feet and was slammed into the wall of a nearby house. He hit the wall with a dull thud and a nasty popping sound and his body crumpled to the ground, unconscious.

"Mr. America!" Finland cried, hurrying over to check on his boss with Sealand and Sweden hot on his tail.

There was a large, goose egg-shaped bump forming on America's head and what appeared to be his clavicle was jutting out of his shoulder. It looked like it had been dislocated.

"Who-?" Finland began, looking around for America's assailant.

"Him!" Sweden shouted, pointing to a figure sitting on a rooftop across the street from them.

Finland whirled around to look upon the attacker. His eyes couldn't focus on him clearly at first in the sporadic flashes of magical light and the flickering glow of surrounding fires, but he could see that the person was a tall and solid-looking man. He was tracing glowing Cyrillic sigils in the air with his finger in a manner that could almost be called casual, his foot jiggling off the edge of the roof as if in time to some unheard tune. Another townsman was lifted magically off his feet and slammed against the wall at the mysterious man's command.

Finland fitted an arrow into the notch in his bow and aimed at the drawing hand of the man on the rooftop, letting the projectile fly. The man must have noticed the arrow whisking towards him because it suddenly glowed the same blue color as the magical characters he'd been drawing and ricocheted away from him harmlessly. A sudden flash of stray magic lit up the sky, illuminating the man's face, and Finland gasped in recognition.

"R-Russia?"

The light provided by the magic faded, but Finland could see the man he presumed to be Russia cocking his head curiously.

"Hmm? Who's there that knows my name?"

A terrible sense of foreboding began to rise in Finland's stomach as memories of his hometown began to flash before his eyes. Memories of a sickly, lonely child who watched the other children play from his window, unable to join them because of his condition; memories of that same child using his magic to drag unwilling playmates into his house in hopes that they would keep him company; memories of a terrifyingly overprotective younger sister who would chase those playmates off and sometimes injure them for daring to come in between her and her beloved older brother.

Finland couldn't say he'd spared Russia much thought since he'd left home, but once in a great while, he'd wondered vaguely what had become of the boy who had once tried to forcibly make him his playmate. Now he had his answer: he had become a bandit and was terrorizing innocent people.

Finland wasn't sure whether he ought to be surprised by this. On one hand, Russia had always been a bit of a bully and had never seemed to have a problem with using his magic to force people to do what he wanted. On the other hand, Finland hadn't really thought of him as evil, just desperately lonely and sort of socially inept.

Russia used his magic to summon some crates that had been tipped over in the street to create a makeshift set of stairs for himself, and he descended gracefully from his rooftop perch. Finland instinctively moved between Sealand and America, and Russia. Seeing this, Sweden joined Finland swiftly, increasing the protection between the threat and the child and injured man.

Now that they were closer, Finland could see him more clearly. He certainly looked healthier than he had been the last time Finland had seen him. Whatever condition had plagued him as a child seemed to have healed. Russia's eyes widened in surprise at the sight of Finland.

"Oh wow, it's little Finland!" he remarked. "This is an unexpected surprise. I haven't seen you in a long time!"

"You're, um… looking better than the last time I saw you," Finland said uncertainly. "I take it the doctors finally worked out what was making you sick?"

"Oh, they figured that out pretty quickly," Russia said pleasantly, as if there wasn't a raid going on around him as he spoke. "It was just a matter of getting our hands on the necessary medication. It was extremely rare, you see, so for a while things were looking pretty grim. In fact… in a funny sort of way, I owe my recovery to you, Finland. Thank you!"

"To me…?" Finland repeated, confused.

"Friend o' yers?" Sweden asked, eying Russia suspiciously.

"Well… something…like that," Finland said uneasily. "We grew up in the same town together."

Russia smiled. "Hmm, I see you have friends here, too. That's one thing I always envied about you, your ability to make friends wherever you went. And to be able to find people who would accept and befriend you even after you—"

"Ah, no!" Finland interrupted loudly, his face going pale. "Please… Please don't say it!"

Russia's smile darkened. "Ah ha… so they don't know what you did. How convenient that you were just able to leave your sins behind you and start over again. Those of us who remained at home certainly haven't had that luxury."

"Wh-what do you mean?" Finland stammered, not sure he wanted to know. He felt his anger rising at the fact that Russia could accuse him of forgetting what he'd done when it'd weighed so heavily on his mind every single day for the past five years, but if he let his temper get the best of him and fought with Russia now, he might not have another chance to get news from back home.

"You mean you don't know?" Russia asked, looking genuinely surprised. "Have you completely cut your ties with home? I was sure you were corresponding with your family; you all seemed to get along irritatingly well."

"I'm not," Finland said quietly. "We haven't exchanged a word since I left. How could I face them so easily as if I had left by choice?"

"I see," Russia said, his smile returning. "Allow me to fill you in, then. I think you're going to enjoy this little story."

Finland could feel his disquieted feelings intensifying. He glanced over his shoulder at Sealand, half wishing the boy were somewhere else in case Russia decided to let slip some information about Finland's past that he'd rather his adopted son not know. Sealand was occupied with using his magic to heal America's injuries. Finland moved closer to Sweden instinctively, and felt slightly comforted by the gentle touch of his hand on his own, even if it meant that he could feel Sweden's acute curiosity coursing through him.

"After you left town, people were upset by the way your proceedings had gone," Russia began. "They thought the incident hadn't been treated with the seriousness it deserved and that you had received preferential treatment because of your status. Everyone got really upset and began to take out their anger on your family."

Finland began to feel sick. He had suspected that his family's reputation might be tainted after what he had done, but he hadn't seriously considered the possibility that the townspeople, their friends and neighbors, would actively target them.

"Hmm, I suppose it wouldn't be quite fair to give you all the credit for them being so angry," Russia mused lightly. "There had been discontent toward the upper classes for a while before, but you certainly didn't help. Anyway, your family got tired of the harassment and left town. I couldn't tell you where they went, but I'm sure they wanted to put some distance between themselves and that town.

"Well, that's when things really got sticky. It seems that everyone in town sort of underestimated how much your family contributed to the town in terms of money and your brother's magic."

Finland frowned slightly. He had lots of memories throughout his childhood of Norway being sluggish and tired often because of all the energy he expended using his magic. Norway's abilities allowed him to manipulate nature, which meant he was very good at making things grow, and had a small amount of control over the weather. His ability was highly valued in their community, especially since the soil was poor and they often experienced famine without his help. Finland thought he could see where this story was headed.

"Without Norway to help the crops grow, the soil became barren and there was nothing to eat," Russia continued. "People were starving and we got desperate. Some of us joined this group of bandits to loot other towns and bring back food and other necessities to share. We didn't want to, but it was either steal or die.

"Of course, I was too sick to join at first, but Belarus and some others from our town went. It was thanks to her becoming a bandit that she was able to find the medicine I needed. I believe she found it in this very town, in fact. That's what I meant when I said I sort of owed my recovery to you."

There was a strangled choking sound from behind them at Russia's words, but Finland hardly noticed; he was too busy trying to decide how to feel about all this. Was he to blame for his town's starvation and turn to thieving? It was certainly difficult to see how things might have turned out the way they did if he hadn't done what he had.

"That stuff isn't Fin's fault," Sweden said dismissively. "He didn't choose how 'is situation was dealt with and he didn't force y' guys t' run 'is fam'ly outta town."

"You speak pretty confidently for someone who has no idea what happened," Russia replied, his voice deceptively sweet. "It's true that he isn't directly responsible for those things, but it was his choice to commit the crime that led to them."

Finland rubbed his eyes, suddenly feeling exhausted. "It… it was an accident… There isn't a day that goes by where I don't regret what I did. I'd take it back in a heartbeat if I could…"

"But you can't," Russia said matter-of-factly.

Finland could feel Sweden's anger swelling beside him, and he was debating whether he ought to try to diffuse it. He was pretty irritated himself. He understood that Russia was justifiably upset over the aftermath of what Finland had done, but he didn't see how Russia had any right to scold or taunt him about it.

Before Finland or Sweden could do anything, they were interrupted by the appearance of a young woman with waist-length, silvery blonde hair. She carried a bulging sack of stolen supplies slung over her shoulder.

"Belarus…" Finland said quietly, shrinking away from her in fearful remembrance. He shivered as her icy blue eyes swept over him disinterestedly. She gave no indication that she recognized him. That was probably for the best; the girl had been horrifying even as a child.

"The others are preparing to withdraw, Brother," Belarus said. "We should head out before they leave without us."

"Well, I suppose that's my exit cue," Russia said with another icy smile. "It was nice to see you again, Finland."

The two of them had just turned their backs and began to walk briskly away when Sealand suddenly spoke up.

"S-stop!" he barked in the same harsh, croaky voice that had sounded so unlike him before. "Don't take another step!"

The siblings turned around again curiously to see who was addressing them. Finland looked at him too, slightly discomfited by the change that had come over him. Sealand no longer looked like the cute, round-faced, cheerful boy whom Finland had taken in. His face was gaunt and drawn, contorted startlingly with fury.

"You, lady!" Sealand growled. "Were you the one who broke into an apothecary four years ago, stole some rare medicine and killed two people?"

Belarus stared at the enraged boy with an expression of faint annoyance on her face, seemingly completely unperturbed by his anger.

"How should I know, you shitty little brat?" she spat acidly. "You expect me to remember every pathetic waste of space I've ever stolen from?"

"Don't fuck with me!" Sealand snapped. "He said you stole medicine from someone in this city to cure him! You didn't forget curing your own brother!"

Belarus contemplated this for another moment, perhaps wondering how Sealand knew all this.

"I guess I do remember that," she admitted. "But what's it to—"

She never finished her sentence; Sealand launched himself at her, tackling her to the ground.

* * *

><p>Sweden prided himself on having pretty quick reflexes, but Sealand threw himself at Belarus so suddenly that even he couldn't intercept him in time.<p>

"Sealand, no!" Finland cried, dashing forward in an attempt to separate Sealand from Belarus.

Sealand managed to punch the woman hard in the face before she had time to react, screaming "You murdered my parents, you fucking piece of shit! I'll rip your fucking head off with my bare hands!"

It didn't take long for Belarus to regain control of her faculties and retaliate. She kicked Sealand hard in the stomach, sending him flying back and skidding painfully across the cobblestone surface of the street. Finland managed to stop him before he hit the wall of a nearby house.

Sweden saw the flash of gleaming metal in Belarus's hand as she drew a knife from a sheath on her belt. Realizing that Sealand and Finland were in danger, he sprang into action, solidifying himself and diving between her and his makeshift family members.

"No, Bela! You promised me you wouldn't kill anyone this time!" Russia shouted, but it was too late; she'd already thrown the knife with terrifying speed and accuracy.

Sweden caught it painlessly in his own chest before it could pierce Finland or Sealand. If he'd been human, it would have punctured his lung and killed him. He ripped it out and crumpled the knife into a useless ball as if it were nothing but aluminum foil, his eyes flashing threateningly. Belarus looked genuinely startled.

Sweden didn't normally like or condone killing, but he felt that he would be justified in this case. After all, she had almost killed at least one of the only people he'd ever really loved. He was going to wipe Belarus off the face of the earth, and when he was finished there wouldn't even be a finger left intact.

"Ah! Mr. America!" Finland shouted.

This gave Sweden's attack pause as he glanced in America's direction, even though he knew it was foolish to take his eyes off of Belarus. Their boss was still slumped helpless and unconscious against the wall as a group of three clearly drunken bandits stumbled into their street, shooting magical fireballs indiscriminately at people and houses alike.

Finland was trying to hold Sealand still and load an arrow into his bow at the same time, aiming at Belarus's leg. He noticed now that though Finland had shot at several people this evening, he had never aimed to kill but only incapacitate. Finland might be very upset with him if he ended up killing this woman, but he didn't trust himself to be able to hold back if he faced her. His master had already proven himself to be a competent fighter; perhaps he should take on the numerous magical enemies and leave the conventional one to Finland.

"I'll help him, Fin!" Sweden called. "You handle this!"

Finland nodded to Sweden who rushed forward to meet the other bandits. Sealand took advantage of Finland's distraction to tear away from his grasp and throw himself at Belarus again. She was ready for him this time, slashing at him with a knife she'd slipped from her boot. Finland caught Sealand around the middle, hauling him out of the way just in time to avoid having his throat slit. In doing so, he dropped his weapon and Belarus kicked it away.

Sealand took his restraint in stride, lashing out with magic instead. A bolt of blue magic shot out of his fingertip and hit Belarus in the chest. Belarus doubled over and was violently ill on the cobblestone. Sealand shot her again and she broke out in a painful looking rash. Another bolt caused her legs to crumple weakly beneath her, and she gasped for air as her throat swelled.

Sweden glanced back over his shoulder at the struggle between Sealand and Belarus, and stared at his adopted son in astonishment. He no longer looked human; his skin had become blue and scaly like a fish, his lips drawn back in a snarl to reveal razor-sharp teeth, and his fingers were webbed. Sweden recognized the appearance as belonging to a water sprite. Finland looked shocked and terrified by this revelation, but didn't dare let go of the boy.

"Sealand, stop!" Finland begged as Sealand continued to strike Belarus with even more nasty afflictions.

Russia seemed to have forgotten his plea to his sister not to kill anyone, because seeing her in mortal peril had put a murderous glint in his eye. He summoned a sword, dropped by a dead bandit nearby and was racing forward to slash at Sealand, clearly aiming to take the boy's head off. Sweden dashed toward Finland and Sealand in a panic, doubting that he'd be able to make it back to them in time to protect them without the use of magic.

Suddenly the air was filled with unearthly music. Everyone froze. Sweden felt a blissful haze coming over him, and all his cares melted away. He'd felt like this before, but he couldn't remember when, and at the moment, what did it matter? As long as that song continued, everything would be alright.

His gaze drifted over to Finland, wondering if he was enjoying the music too. That's when he realized that Finland's lips were moving. Oh, so Finland was the one making the music. How silly of him to have missed that! Naturally a relaxation this deep could only come from listening to Finland's beautiful singing voice. No voice but Finland's would do. He couldn't understand the words, but it didn't matter. Even though Sweden was already obligated to do whatever Finland wished, hearing his song made him willing to do anything Finland asked, whether he made a wish or not, physical impossibilities be damned.

Russia put down his sword, a dazed look on his face as if he had completely forgotten where he was and what he was doing. He bent down and scooped his incapacitated sister into his arms, carrying her off into the distance. Sweden watched him dreamily until he disappeared around the corner.

Then, as suddenly as it had started, the music stopped. Sweden shook his head briskly, clearing the last of the unnatural haze from his mind. What on earth had just happened? Finland had sung a song and his mind had gone all floaty and blank. Not only that but Russia and Belarus had forgotten their grievances with them and had simply dropped their weapons and left. Since when had Finland had this kind of power and why hadn't he ever used it before? Sweden drifted numbly back to Finland's side, his mind whirring with questions as well as answers to previous puzzles.

Sealand was coming down out of his magical music-induced high as well, his scales, sharp teeth and webbed fingers vanishing to become human-like again. He was still upset, though.

"Why did you stop me?" he demanded, his voice cracking and tears welling up in his eyes. "I would have finally had my revenge on the piece of shit who murdered my parents! I was this close to killing her!"

"I didn't want you to have that blood on your hands," Finland replied softly. "Killing her wouldn't have brought them back, it just would have made you a murderer like her. Do you really think that would have made your parents happy?"

Sealand looked as though he honestly wanted to argue this point, but no arguments were coming to his head. Sweden could tell that he was frustrated, angry, immensely hurt and scared, and he could feel his heart breaking for him. Finland looked as though his heart had broken as well. Sweden hoped he wasn't finding some way to blame himself for Sealand's parents' deaths.

Finally Sealand's anger seemed to deflate as anguish took over. The boy bowed his head as his tears fell. Finland reached out and touched his shoulder experimentally, waiting to see if Sealand would smack him away, but he didn't. Seeing that his comfort would be accepted, he pulled Sealand into his arms, hugging him tight. The boy's body trembled and Sweden heard him sob. He crouched down beside Sealand and Finland, putting his arms around both of them.

For the second time that night, Sweden found himself playing the role of comforter. The genie could honestly say there hadn't been many problems throughout his life which couldn't be resolved by magic, but seeing Finland and Sealand in tears over the sorts of things they were dealing with was something that his magic couldn't fix. Not without tampering with their memories or emotions. All he could do for either of them was to hold them and be there for them until they pulled themselves together.

For once in his life, Sweden felt truly powerless, and he hated it.

* * *

><p>By the time the four of them returned to the toy shop, they were all exhausted to the very depths of their souls. America had regained consciousness, but was sore and a little disoriented, and Sweden had needed to help him home. Finland had carried a thoroughly dejected and unresponsive Sealand home on his back. Thankfully the place hadn't been burned, though the window was broken and some toys had been stolen or crushed.<p>

The bandits had gone, taking with them most of the town's reserve food supply. It seemed that the attack had been detected late as the watchmen had been drunk from the feast and hadn't done their jobs properly. By the time the alarm had sounded, the bandits had already broken into the storehouse and made off with most of the town's winter reserves.

Finland suspected he and Sweden would have to step in and do something about the impending food crisis, but he needed to think carefully about how he would approach the problem, and right now he was too exhausted to give it the thought it needed. Sweden parted from them to help America to his room while Finland assisted Sealand.

Finland's mind was a whirl of muddled thoughts and worries as he attempted to lower Sealand into his bed; Sealand, who had turned out not to be human. The boy had never mentioned the fact that he was a water sprite, and Finland had never thought to question his species. Despite the tales he had grown up with about many water sprites having a penchant for drowning children, he decided that it didn't make him love the boy any less. There may have been many things that he still didn't know about Sealand, but he was certain that Sealand would never prey upon the innocent like that. Even so, it had been a startling revelation to say the least.

More worrying was what he had found out tonight about the aftermath of his actions five years ago. Sweden had dismissed them as not being his fault, that he had neither chosen, nor suggested or forced the people of his hometown to react the way they had, and he wanted to be able to agree with him, but he couldn't help feeling guilty anyway. Sealand's parents had been killed because of the chain of events that he'd set off.

_It was Belarus's choice to kill them; I had nothing to do with that_, Finland told himself meekly. _If Russia's condition was getting worse, she would've taken extreme measures to save him whether I'd done that or not. It's… not my fault. Sealand believes that too…right?_

Though Finland had sat down on Sealand's bed to allow him to crawl into it, the boy was still clinging to his back, trembling like a leaf. Finland couldn't imagine what must be going through his head right now. He tried to put himself in Sealand's shoes, to judge whether he would be hurt and vengeful toward him for the role he'd inadvertently played in his parents' deaths, but he just couldn't fathom he must be feeling. He was half afraid to say anything to him for fear that it might cause Sealand to lash out.

"S…Sea?" he whispered. "Aren't you tired?"

Sealand clung to him even more tightly, hiding his face in the crook of Finland's neck.

"Don't leave," Sealand breathed. "Please…"

"I won't," Finland promised. "I'll stay."

The door opened quietly and Sweden entered, having finished helping America into bed. Finland met his gaze, signaling with his eyes that Sweden should join them. Sweden drifted over and sat down beside them silently. Finland watched as Sweden rubbed Sealand's back soothingly, trying to show his sympathy in the only way he knew how.

"We could all sleep together tonight," Finland suggested. "Would you like that, Sea?"

Sealand said nothing, but gave Finland a little squeeze to show his approval. Finland removed his and Sealand's shoes and stockings, and pulled back the covers. He crawled in and Sealand curled up beside him, tucking his head under Finland's chin. Sweden fit himself in on the other side of Sealand, draping his long arm over both of them.

Despite the murky current of thoughts swirling around in Finland's mind, he was able to drift off quickly, lulled by Sealand's warmth and steady heartbeat, the flow of Sweden's gentle love, empathy and contemplativeness, and his own fatigue.

* * *

><p><strong>TN:** My inexperience at writing action scenes strikes again! I hope I didn't botch it too badly. We'll see if I can wrap this up in two more chapters.


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: I'm sorry for the long wait! It's been a busy couple of months, what with moving to Japan and starting my new job here. And then there was the stupid writer's block again… But I wrote you an extra long chapter to make up for it, so I hope that'll be sufficient.

* * *

><p>Sleep provided a blissful retreat from unpleasant thoughts and memories for a few hours, but they rolled back on him heavily as soon as Finland awoke the next morning. Finland almost groaned aloud at their weight, but Sealand was still curled up beside him and he didn't want to disturb him.<p>

Finland could tell by looking at the poor boy's face that his sleep hadn't been as deep and liberating as his own. Sealand was unnaturally pale and his eyes were red-rimmed and underscored with bags. Finland suspected that Sealand had had a rather difficult time falling asleep last night, but Finland had been so exhausted that he hadn't been disturbed by Sealand's restlessness.

It suddenly occurred to Finland that Sweden was missing, but then he noticed the genie's tall figure hovering near the fireplace, tending to a pot of coffee. The idea of sharing a relaxed cup of coffee with Sweden before they would have to go out and help put the town back together appealed to Finland. He got up slowly and carefully so as not to wake Sealand and joined Sweden at the hearth, waiting for the coffee to be ready. Sweden watched him concernedly as Finland rubbed the sleep from his eyes.

"How are ya?" Sweden asked quietly.

Finland sighed. "I've been better, but I've been worse. It was a rough night for everyone. I'm just glad that none of us were seriously hurt."

"Thanks t' you," Sweden said.

Finland fidgeted uncomfortably. Sweden watched him with an impassive expression for a moment before reaching into the fire and removing the metal pot of coffee with his bare hands.

"Wanna go t' th' backroom?" he suggested.

Finland hesitated. Sweden probably hoped to discuss what had happened last night somewhere where they wouldn't disturb Sealand. His immediate response to this possibility was a rush of reluctance pooling in his stomach at the thought of speaking on this topic, but then another possibility occurred to him. Perhaps discussing this with Sweden, who had never been anything but sweet and patient and understanding with him, could be therapeutic.

He imagined snuggling up to him with his coffee, feeling Sweden's arm curl reassuringly around his shoulders and experiencing the surge of gentle love that he had come to associate with the genie as he poured out all his worries and uncertainties. Finland's heart throbbed and his cheeks pinked at the thought and he nodded slowly. He found a pair of mugs for them and followed Sweden out of their room, closing the door quietly behind him.

The backroom was dark and freezing cold, even more so than usual since the window that had been broken last night was letting a cruel wind into the shop. Finland hurried to toss a few pieces of firewood into the stove and lit them before sitting down on the wooden bench next to Sweden. The genie poured him some coffee and handed it to him silently, not rushing into what he probably understood would be a difficult conversation for Finland.

Finland blew the steam from his coffee and took a cautious sip. Sweden invited him to cuddle into his side, and Finland accepted, his cheeks warming shyly as he did so. He hesitated nervously before hugging Finland closer, resting his cheek against the top of his head and rubbing his shoulder affectionately.

Finland's eyes fluttered closed as Sweden's love swept over him, now highly aware that it wasn't just Sweden's feelings that were making his heart throb the way it was. He couldn't say that his feelings were as intense as Sweden's, but he wouldn't be surprised if they soon grew to match his. If only he didn't feel as though half of his heart was closed off to any emotion other than guilt.

Speaking of unwanted feelings, Finland was also aware of the concern and acute curiosity coursing through Sweden's mind. He was pretty sure he had a fair idea as to what the source of Sweden's curiosity might be. He sighed minutely, took a drink of his coffee, and braced himself for the questions that were sure to come.

"That was some 'mazin' magic y' did last night," Sweden commented. "Strong, too. Can't r'member th' last time I met a 'uman that could 'ffect me with their magic."

Finland stared into the pitch-black depths of his coffee with a small frown.

"I'm… glad that I was able to protect Sealand with it last night, but to be honest…" Finland trailed off, biting his lip. "I know I should be grateful that the gods trusted me with such a powerful gift, but my life would be so much simpler if I had never developed this power."

Sweden took a drink of his coffee, looking as nonchalant as ever, but Finland could tell that he was steeling himself for what he was about to ask.

"When we first moved 'n here, y' told me y' didn't sing 'nymore 'cause yer friends didn't like yer song," Sweden reminded him.

Finland was starting to feel ill. He wasn't really surprised that Sweden had made the connection, but if the genie paid as much attention to the things that he had told him over the course of their relationship as Finland suspected he might have, he feared that Sweden might just figure out everything. He wanted to believe that Sweden wouldn't love him any less after finding out, but how could he be sure? Finland knew what he had done was despicable and awful. Even if it had been an accident, it was still 100 percent his fault. He wouldn't blame Sweden for being disgusted with him.

"Does that have somethin' t' do with why y' left home?"

"I…" Finland hesitated. He was probably going to come clean to Sweden sooner or later; he might as well just bite the bullet and get it over with. Finland took a breath, preparing himself. Sweden leaned in as Finland opened his mouth to speak, a mixture of curiosity and apprehension filling him. But before Finland could say a single word, the door to the backroom swung open and Sealand entered, rubbing his red-rimmed, heavily shadowed eyes.

Finland felt a flicker of frustration at the timing of this interruption race through both of them, but it was overrun almost immediately by concern for their son.

"Good morning, Sea," Finland said gently.

"Everyone was gone when I got up," Sealand mumbled.

He didn't elaborate, but Finland wondered if Sealand had awoken with a start, his head full of painful memories, to find himself all alone. Finland's heart constricted with pity.

"Sorry, we didn't want to wake you with our conversation," Finland said. "Would you like to join us?"

Sealand sniffled and shuffled over to sit beside Sweden. Sweden put his arm around the boy's shoulders, pulling him close and patting his back soothingly.

"How y' doin'?" he asked.

Sealand shrugged but said nothing, accepting his dad's embrace silently.

"It looks like we have a really busy day ahead of us," Finland said nervously, trying to fill the heavy silence. "We have to help Mr. America put the shop back in order and then we really should do what we can to help our neighbors, too. Oh, but you should probably stay home and rest, Sea. I'm sure you're tired."

Sealand shook his head. "I'll help too."

"I admire your work ethic, Sea, but I really think you should take it easy today," Finland said. "You don't look well at all."

Sealand was silent for a moment, but his fingers clenched into a fist. "You want to stay away from me, don't you?" he mumbled. "You think I'm a freak."

"What, because of last night?" Finland asked, shocked that Sealand would come to such a conclusion. "I mean, I was definitely surprised, but—"

"I knew it," Sealand scoffed. "Everyone thinks so."

"Sealand, please listen to me. I'm not finished," Finland said in a soft but authoritative voice. "I would never think that about you."

Sealand made a little noise of disbelief, but Finland ignored it and continued.

"I may not have known you were a water sprite when I first asked you to live with us, but I could tell that you were different and that you felt all alone because of it. That's part of the reason that I asked you to live with us in the first place; because I know how lonely and painful it is to feel like there's no one on your side."

Finland paused, wondering if his words were reaching the boy at all. Sealand gave no indication that he had heard anything Finland had said. Perhaps Sealand was too distressed and exhausted right now to be reasoned with. This conversation might be best saved for another time. Finland was about to back down when Sealand spoke at last.

"Really?" he whispered, sounding a little congested. "You really don't care at all that I'm not human?"

"Not at all," Finland replied emphatically, relieved that he had gotten through to him. A thought occurred to him, and he glanced anxiously up at Sweden before continuing. "And actually… can you keep a secret, Sea?"

"What?" Sealand asked.

"You absolutely can't tell anyone," Finland said. "No matter how much you trust them, my life depends on no one ever finding out. Can you handle that?"

Sealand hesitated, then nodded. Sweden was watching him very closely, his face fixed into a fearsome scowl, but he seemed to have guessed what Finland was about to say because he could sense Sweden's uncertainty and concern.

"Sve isn't human either," Finland whispered.

Sealand lifted his head at last in surprise, his watery eyes wide. "Papa… really?"

Sweden nodded. "'m a genie."

Sealand stared. "So… what does your true form look like?"

"Y' wanna see?" Sweden asked. "'S kinda scary."

Sealand nodded eagerly. Finland hurriedly got up and locked the door to the backroom to ensure that no one else wandered in while Sweden's identity was exposed. As soon as the door was securely locked, Sweden got up from the bench and began to transform. Finland watched curiously along with Sealand; the last time he had seen this form, he had been on the brink of death and hadn't been in any condition to be making detailed observations.

Most of Sweden's features melted away as he became a vaguely humanoid-looking pillar of navy blue smoke that was easily tall enough to reach the ceiling. The only recognizable feature he retained from his human form was his glittering bluish-green eyes. They glowed in what appeared to be a very sinister manner through the gloom. If Finland hadn't known what a cuddly teddy bear of a man Sweden really was, he probably would have been terrified. Even knowing, he was intimidated.

Finland glanced over at Sealand, wondering how he was taking this. Sealand was watching Sweden in wide-eyed wonder, not looking especially frightened by what he saw. Sweden maintained this form for a few second before returning to his human shape with a soft whoosh.

"'m actually 'bout three times taller but there's not room 'n here," Sweden explained.

"Wow…" Sealand marveled as Sweden sat back down between him and Finland.

"See? Even though Sve's not human, I still, um…" Finland blushed and looked down at his knees. "I still like him very much. And I still love you too, Sea, no matter how different you are."

Finland could feel Sweden's happiness, embarrassment and affection surging in response to this admission but he tried not to let himself get swept away in it, attempting to focus instead on Sealand.

"Ok?" he prompted.

Sealand nodded slowly. Finland smiled and patted Sealand's shoulder kindly.

"Well Sve, maybe it's about time we headed out to help with the cleanup," Finland proposed, taking a large gulp of coffee. "If you want to, I mean."

"Mm," Sweden agreed.

"Me too," Sealand said.

"I don't think so, young man," Finland said sternly. "You're going to stay home and rest."

"Aw, c'mon!" Sealand complained.

"Sorry but no," Finland replied. "You can help tomorrow, but today I want you to get caught up on your sleep. I don't want you overworking yourself and making yourself sick."

Sealand looked down at his knees again, biting his tongue, his expression troubled, frustrated and a little embarrassed. Finland didn't notice, however, too busy draining the last of his coffee from his cup and building up the fire in the woodstove in preparation to go into the front room of the shop and begin cleaning up.

* * *

><p>The next few days were busy for everyone. Though not everyone's property suffered substantial damage after the bandit attack, everyone pitched in to help their neighbors fix their homes and clean up the town. It was backbreaking work, even with so many people helping.<p>

Finland and Sweden were kept as busy as the rest of the townspeople, fixing, cleaning, and rebuilding. With so much going on, and so many people around them at all times that there was no chance to discuss Finland's past wrong-doings, so the matter was put on the backburner.

Although everyone strove to just focus on one concern at a time, the concern with putting the town back together, Finland could see the specter of the food crisis looming over all their heads. Based on what Finland had gathered from conversations with various other townspeople, it seemed that they were sometimes able to depend on their magically stronger eastern neighbors, whose kingdom had never been successfully plundered by the bandits, to send them aid. However this was not always possible, and the town council would be meeting soon to discuss their options if this plan failed. Finland was considering sitting in on the meeting to see if it would be necessary to step in and use a wish to solve the problem.

On top of these large-scale worries, Finland had family matters to be concerned about as well. More specifically Sealand's condition was growing troubling. Finland hadn't expected Sealand to be able to put the meeting with his parents' murderer behind him immediately, but he hadn't foreseen it causing him quite this level of grief.

Ever since the attack, Finland hadn't seen Sealand manage to sleep for more than an hour at a time before he'd wake up in a panic, presumably disoriented by terrifying dreams of their deaths. He tried inviting Sealand to sleep in his bed, which seemed to work until Finland fell asleep himself and rolled away from him unconsciously. Sweden tried sitting at his bedside and holding his hand through the night, but this also seemed to have minimal effect.

Prolonged lack of sleep caused Sealand to experience headaches and his appetite diminished. Even going out back and sitting near his pond didn't seem to do much good. Though Sealand always did his best to avoid disturbing anyone when his night terrors awoke him, it wasn't always possible. Finland had always been a pretty heavy sleeper, but since the attack he began to awaken at small disturbances, such as Sealand's whimpers or harsh breathing. Perhaps it was a sign that his body was growing used to his role as a "parent," but whatever the reason, neither he nor Sealand were getting much sleep. This seemed to cause Sealand even more distress.

"Sorry," he mumbled, his cheeks reddening in the firelight as Finland brought him a cup of tea. He had just had an especially nasty nightmare, waking Finland and Sweden for the third time that night.

Sweden put his arm around his son, rubbing his shoulder consolingly. "Y' don't hafta 'pologize fer needin' help."

"Sve's right, Sea," Finland agreed, suppressing a yawn. "We're a family now. Families have to be there for each other when one person is having trouble."

Sealand bowed his head over his tea and drank silently, his ears still burning. Finland frowned slightly, wondering what he could do to put Sealand at ease.

"You know you can talk to us about anything, right?" he asked. "Maybe it'll make you feel better to talk about the things you've been seeing in your dreams."

Sealand was silent, and Sweden wondered if he was going to ignore Finland's suggestion, but at last he murmured, "Even if I tell you about how I… how I had to see them… m-my parents… Even if I t-told you that… it won't bring them back…or make me forget."

Sweden felt his heart break for the boy all over again as he began to tremble in his arms once more. He held him tighter, as if this would help the pieces of Sealand's heart meld back together. Finland rubbed Sealand's knee sympathetically, clearly feeling just as awful for Sealand as Sweden was.

"I'll go out tomorrow at lunchtime and get you some sleeping medicine," Finland offered, "something that induces good dreams. Maybe we'll be able to face this problem better after we've all had a good rest."

Sweden hoped Finland was right.

* * *

><p>The atmosphere in the toyshop on their first day of business since the attack was very subdued and lethargic. It was clear that Finland and his little family weren't the only ones experiencing sleepless nights. America was clearly worse for the wear as well. His eyes were as bloodshot and underscored with shadows as Sealand's, his cheeks flushed, and every so often he would cough hoarsely.<p>

Finland had been so concerned with what had been happening with Sealand that he hadn't had much attention to spare for what was going on with America, but he felt bad for it now. His boss was very clearly ill, and after what (admittedly little) Finland had seen of his activities since the attack, he couldn't say that he was particularly surprised. Even as distracted as he had been, Finland had noticed how America would return home after helping straighten up the town, take a little break for dinner and immediately barricade himself in his basement workshop until morning when he would reemerge, smeared with oil and soot, his face pale and his eyes bloodshot and underscored with shadows.

"Mr. America… don't you think maybe you're working yourself a little too hard?" Finland asked. America's head was nodding sleepily as he counted his change. "You don't look well at all. When was the last time you had a full night's sleep?"

"Umm…."America rubbed his red-rimmed eyes. "I dunno… I guess it's been a while… Hah… CHOO!"

"Are you coming down with a cold?" Finland asked. "You _do_ look a little feverish. I really think you should take the day off."

"Cold? What's that?" America sniffled. Then he sighed. "I'd like to take the day off, but thanks to all the repairs we had to do I'm running a little low on the funds to buy the materials I need for the next step in my invention. I know exactly what I need to do to complete it, I just don't have the stuff for it!"

Finland and Sweden winced and traded concerned looks as America doubled over in a painful coughing fit.

"Surely your invention can wait a little until you get your health back," Finland suggested.

"I… I have to finish it as quickly as possible," America croaked. "The town needs it now more than ever."

"But…" Finland trailed off.

He remembered the conversation they'd overheard between America and his friend England the night of the holiday market about how America was working on an invention to produce food out of nothing. Finland couldn't deny that such an invention would be extremely helpful right now and it would be best if it were finished sooner rather than later, but he hated to see America run himself into the ground this way.

"We c'n cover yer shift," Sweden piped up. "Y' really need s'me sleep."

"But my invention…" America sniffled pathetically.

"Y' c'n work more 'fficiently when yer not dead on yer feet," Sweden said firmly. "Leave yer work t' us t'day."

"Yes, we can handle it," Finland insisted. "Please, Mr. America. We're worried about you."

"I _am_ reeeally tired…" America admitted slowly. "You guys sure you don't mind?"

"Not at all!" Finland said.

"Well… alright, then," America agreed. "But make sure you wake me up if it gets too busy for you to handle, ok?"

"We will," Finland lied. "Um… I was going to get some sleep medicine for Sea over my lunch break. Do you want me to pick up something for your cold?"

America hesitated briefly, as if Finland's words were traveling to his ears through a pool of molasses and took a while to reach him, then he nodded.

"That'd be awesome," he croaked. "Thanks, I'll pay you back later."

Finland and Sweden watched in silence as America staggered toward his room and closed the door, leaving the two of them alone in the shop together.

* * *

><p>It was slightly earlier than their normal lunch break when Finland began to pull on his coat in preparation for a visit to the apothecary. The morning had been quite devoid of the usual customers and hopefuls that normally frequented the toy store, leaving them with very little to keep them busy. People were still trying to recover from the financial strain put upon them after the repairs they had needed to make to their property and didn't seem to have money to spare for frivolous things like toys.<p>

Sweden had hoped at first that not having to put up a cheerful and energetic front for potential customers might be a comfort to Finland, but he hardly seemed to notice. The genie had watched him pass the hours in a daze, but not one of relaxation, but an uneasy one that hinted at a weariness that extended to the soul.

Sweden watched his master fasten the buttons, his heart overflowing with sympathy. Poor little Finland looked so pale and tired in the grayish winter light that streamed through the newly repaired shop window, and yet his mouth was set into a firmly determined expression. It was the face of one who was putting his own suffering on hold so that he could properly deal with the suffering of those whom he loved. Sweden felt his already considerable love for Finland grow even deeper, as if it were a tangible, measurable thing contained in his chest.

"Ok… I'm heading to the apothecary," Finland sighed. "I'll be back soon."

"I'll go with ya," Sweden said quickly.

"Are you sure?" Finland asked. "Aren't you hungry…?"

He stopped, and Sweden could see remembrance dawning on him. Finland laughed, but it wasn't the sweet, good-humored laugh that never failed to set Sweden's heart aflutter. It was a foreign-sounding noise, exhausted and frustrated and stressed.

"That's right, you don't need to eat, do you?" Finland amended. "I forgot… Yes, of course you can come."

"Maybe y' should let me go 'lone," Sweden suggested concernedly. "Y' look 'xhausted."

Finland hesitated, seemingly considering it, but then he shook his head as if to clear away thoughts of an option that he knew was morally wrong. "I… I can't just stay behind and sleep when I know that Sea and Mr. America are suffering. I accepted responsibility for Sea when I took him in and I have to honor that even if it's difficult… I know I don't really have any obligation to Mr. America, but he's sick and needs help and after all he's done for us…."

Finland trailed off as if he were too tired to even be bothered to finish his sentence. Sweden gave Finland a pained look as Finland gave his head another little shake and pushed open the toyshop door, letting them out into the cold, dreary outdoors.

He wished that there was something, anything, that he could say to put Finland at ease, but nothing came to him. Sweden touched Finland's hand gently, inviting him to take hold of it if he felt comfortable with it. After a moment, Finland slipped his fingers into the gaps between Sweden's and leaned against his arm wearily even as they walked.

"I'm… glad you're here with me," Finland breathed, too tired to even be embarrassed by the words coming out of his mouth. "You've been such a big help."

Sweden's cheeks pinked. "Don't feel like 've done much. Wish I could do more for ya."

"Just being able to hold hands with you like this when I'm stressed and feeling lost... makes me feel better," Finland assured him drowsily. "With anyone else, it just wouldn't be the same."

"Fin…"

If Sweden had possessed a heart, it would have throbbed happily at these words. He wished he could show Finland somehow just how happy Finland's admission had made him, but he didn't know what to do that didn't involve sweeping Finland into his arms and kissing him. Somehow he didn't feel that that would be appropriate, especially considering Finland had said he wasn't ready for that kind of relationship. Finland smiled tiredly and squeezed Sweden's hand in an affectionate manner, and then Sweden remembered that as long as they were touching, Finland always knew exactly what he was feeling. He felt the blush in his cheeks deepen.

"Apothecary's up ahead," he grunted awkwardly, trying to distract Finland from the rush of mushy feelings that he knew Finland must be feeling through him right now.

Sweden was slightly disappointed to see the look of grim determination steal back over Finland's face at the mention of their destination, but said nothing as he opened the door to let them inside.

* * *

><p>Finland had managed to locate the medicines they needed without too much difficulty, so as he and Sweden returned to the toyshop with them in hand, Finland was already starting to feel a little less stressed and worried. Perhaps now, after almost a week of nearly sleepless nights and concern over Sealand's worsening condition, he could soothe Sealand's suffering at least a little and finally get some rest himself. His face warmed slightly as he imagined crawling into Sweden's embrace for a long nap after they had treated Sealand. Finland's body ached for sleep and Sweden's gentle, steady touch.<p>

He felt frustrated therefore, when he saw someone hovering near the door of the toyshop as they approached, seemingly waiting to be let in. In the uncharacteristic irritability caused by his exhaustion, he actually considered strangling the visitor if they tried to get between him and the nap he was thinking longingly of taking once he had administered Sealand's sleeping medicine. As they drew closer, they realized that the person by the door was in fact Liechtenstein, and Finland felt a bit bad about entertaining violent thoughts about such a sweet, polite girl.

"Oh my, Mr. Finland!" Liechtenstein gasped when she noticed them approaching. "What's the matter?! You look ill!"

"I know I must look terrible," Finland sighed. "It's been a rough week for all of us here. I'm afraid none of us have been sleeping well and it's starting to take its toll."

Liechtenstein's eyes darted curiously to Sweden's face for a moment, and it didn't occur to Finland that she was probably wondering why Sweden didn't look dead on his feet. He dug the key from his pocket and let them all into the store.

"I'm very sorry," Liechtenstein said contritely. "If I had known there was so much work here that needed to be done I would have stopped by sooner to help. I was simply so distracted with repairing my and my brother's house and caring for him after his leg was injured in the bandit attack that it didn't even occur to me."

"Oh no, we weren't missing out on sleep because we were working," Finland said. "Well, I suppose Mr. America was. But the rest of us… Ah, it's not really my place to go into specifics, but the attack opened up some extremely painful memories for Sealand, and, well… he hasn't been well since. He hasn't been able to sleep properly, and it's affected his appetite and he's been getting headaches. Sve and I have been so worried about him that we haven't really been able to get much sleep either."

Liechtenstein looked up at him with a slightly startled and pained expression. "Th-that's terrible! Poor Sealand!"

"Yes, he's been in pretty bad shape," Finland said sadly. "That's where I was just now: at the apothecary getting some medicine for Sealand so that maybe he can finally sleep peacefully."

Liechtenstein wrung her hands. "Please, let me see him. I can help."

"It would certainly be nice if you could, but I've tried everything I can think of that didn't involve medicine or magic," Finland said. "Besides, I think he might be embarrassed to let you see him right now."

"I have magic that can help," Liechtenstein clarified. "That's my ability: I can sing a lullaby and cause the listener to fall asleep. I also have some control over dreams… My magic isn't very strong, and sometimes I end up accidentally putting myself to sleep as well," she paused, her cheeks pinking at this admission, "but I believe it will be strong enough for this."

"Really?" Finland asked. "Maybe it would cheer him up to spend some time with you. After all he's been through he could certainly use something to lift his spirits."

"It would be my pleasure," Liechtenstein replied earnestly. "I'm glad to be of assistance."

"I'll go bring 'merica his medicine," Sweden said, separating from them to tend to their boss.

"And I'll show you to Sea's room, ok?" Finland offered.

Liechtenstein followed him swiftly without another word.

As soon as Liechtenstein had joined Sealand in their room, taking the sleeping medicine with her just in case her magic wasn't effective, Finland shut the door behind them and instantly sagged against Sweden, hiding his face in the genie's muscular chest. Sweden flushed but hugged him closer, rubbing his back soothingly and supporting half of his weight for him.

"Y' wanna take a nap in th' backroom?" Sweden suggested quietly.

"Mm," Finland agreed sleepily.

Sweden waited for Finland to start walking, but he didn't move.

"Fin?" Sweden said tentatively.

He didn't respond. Had Finland fallen asleep on his feet? Sweden hadn't known that was possible. He doubted it was comfortable. Very carefully, he scooped Finland off his feet and carried him into the backroom, sitting down on the couch with his master in his lap. Finland shifted in his arms, unconsciously trying to make himself comfortable. His soft, round cheek nuzzled into the crook of Sweden's neck just as it had on the night when he'd fallen asleep at the bathhouse and had needed to be carried home.

Back then, the thought that Finland might someday trust him enough to voluntarily fall asleep in his arms had been nothing but an idle fantasy, but now it was actually happening. It didn't even seem like such a long time ago that Finland had first caught his interest. He wondered where their relationship might be the same amount of time into the future. Sweden allowed himself to envision a future in which he and Finland might curl up together every night, trading hugs and kisses freely as the fancy struck them, whispering soft declarations of love without embarrassment or restraint.

His head full of sweet hope, Sweden allowed himself to drift off, cuddling his beloved Finland close.

* * *

><p>The afternoon was a quiet one for the toyshop as its workers all got caught up on some much needed rest. Unsurprisingly, it was Sweden who awoke first, figuring he ought to go check on Liechtenstein and Sealand and tell Liechtenstein that she needed to go home before her older brother started to worry about her.<p>

Not wanting to risk waking Sealand, Sweden pushed the door to their family's living quarters open quietly without knocking and peered inside. His magical eyes adjusted quickly to the gloom, and he was able to make out two small figures sitting in Sealand's bed together. He hesitated and ventured a bit further into the room, trying to discern what was going on.

_Her magic didn't work…? _Sweden wondered silently.

But then as he approached the arrangement became clearer to him. Sealand's head was resting on Liechtenstein's chest, his arm draped around her waist. Traces of tears were visible on his cheeks in the pale, weak late afternoon light that filtered in through the room's single window, but the boy now appeared to be sleeping peacefully at last. Liechtenstein's cheek was resting on top of Sealand's head, one arm curled around his shoulders, holding him close, her other hand lying on his. Sweden could see that she had fallen asleep as well.

He let out a little sigh of relief. His concern over Sealand's insomnia had been eating away at him since it had reared its ugly head, and he knew that it had no doubt been weighing heavily on Finland as well. Maybe they could all finally begin to move forward now.

_I feel bad for having to disturb them, _Sweden thought. He had no choice though; he didn't want Liechtenstein to get in trouble with her brother. He woke the girl with a pat on the shoulder, helped her disentangle herself from Sealand without waking him and sent her on her way.

* * *

><p>A full day had come and gone before anyone in the toyshop really stirred. Sweden had managed to draw them back into the realm of the living for a brief time for breakfast that morning, but they had all returned to sleep soon after. Sweden alternated between looking in on America and watching over his family, but he needn't have worried about them. At least for the time being, their previous concerns seemed to have been forgotten.<p>

Unfortunately, Sweden couldn't say the same for the rest of the town. The food crisis clearly had people starting to panic and something would need to be done soon to prevent everyone from starving. Clearly whatever preliminary solution the town leaders had tried had failed and now they would need to meet and discuss their backup plan. That was why Sweden went to wake Finland for the town council meeting that Finland had said he wanted to attend, even though it seemed wrong to disturb him.

"Fin," Sweden said softly, taking one of Finland's hands between his and rubbing it gently. "Wake up. Meetin's gonna start soon."

Finland moaned and stirred sluggishly but didn't wake. Sweden sat down on the edge of the bed and brushed Finland's bangs aside so that he could caress his cheek tenderly.

"Got a nice hot bath all ready for ya," Sweden continued. "Don'tcha wanna have a bath b'fore we go?"

One of Finland's eyelids parted slightly in interest at this offer. Sweden caressed his cheek again shyly and gave Finland's hand an affectionate squeeze.

"Did you say something about a bath?" Finland asked with a sleepy smile.

Something in Sweden's chest fluttered happily. It seemed like so long since the last time he'd seen Finland's smile. It was all he could do to keep from kissing the back of Finland's hand, which was still nestled between his own. He returned Finland's smile the best he could with his inexpressive lips.

"Mornin'," he greeted quietly.

"Good morning," Finland yawned. He rubbed his eyes and looked out the window. "Or should I say afternoon? How long was I asleep?"

"'Bout two days total," Sweden replied.

Finland disentangled himself from the covers and put his feet on the floor. "How are Sea and Mr. America doing?"

"Got Sea t' eat s'me breakfast this morning b'fore he went back t' bed," Sweden said. "That seems like a good sign. 'Merica's fever was gone when I brought him his breakfast this morning, but 'e's still coughin'."

"Oh I'm so glad to hear that," Finland said, genuine relief in his voice.

"How're y' feelin'?" Sweden asked.

"A lot better," Finland answered, stretching unhurriedly. "I'm sure I'll feel even better after I've had that bath. Thank you for getting that ready for me, by the way. How long until the meeting starts?"

"An hour."

Finland smiled again. "I guess that gives me time to enjoy myself."

Sweden watched Finland for a moment as he gathered a towel and a change of clothes in preparation for his bath before starting to heat up some soup for Finland's lunch.

* * *

><p>Sweden had never attended a town council meeting before, but given his somewhat unfavorable views on the human race in general, the one they intended ending up going about as he expected that it would have. There was lots of squabbling, and everyone shot down everyone else's ideas even though they rarely had an alternative to offer. Some members on the council seemed to reject proposals purely because of personal grudges against the person who had suggested it.<p>

"We could ask the Kvens for help," one council member suggested.

"We can't count on them to be able to help us," another disagreed. "It's likely that they were attacked too."

"Well, we can't know until we ask them. We can't just dismiss every possible ally because they might also have been attacked."

"There's always the great sorcerer Germania. If we beg him, he might take pity on us."

"No one's seen him in years. He could be dead for all we know. Besides, you can't just waltz up to a sorcerer that powerful and start making demands! Who knows what he might do to you!"

It went on like that for an hour and a half, back and forth, not really making progress. Finland must have finally decided he'd had enough, because eventually he touched Sweden's hand to get his attention and motioned that he wanted to leave. As soon as they were out of the city hall building, Finland let out a long, slow sigh.

"That was ridiculous! How in the world does anything get done in this town with a council like that?!" Finland wondered aloud. "Surely they must've dealt with this kind of situation before. Why can't they just use the same solution they did then?"

"Dunno," Sweden said with a frown. "Sure would be nice 'f 'Merica could get 'is 'nvention workin'."

Finland lapsed into silent thought for a moment.

"He did say that he knew exactly what needed to be done and that he just didn't have the materials, didn't he?" he recalled slowly.

Sweden nodded, confirming this. Finland was quiet for a moment more.

"I have a wish," he said at last. "I want Mr. America to have everything he needs to complete his invention."

Sweden gave him a tiny smile, touched again by how unhesitatingly he was using up a wish to help others. "Yer wish 's my c'mmand."

* * *

><p>To Finland's pleasant surprise, his wish for America to have everything necessary to complete his invention also appeared to have restored his boss's health completely.<p>

"Can't finish it 'f 'e's too sick t' work," was Sweden's mumbled explanation when Finland thanked him for it.

Sealand was starting to get better too. He still needed the medicine that Finland had bought him to ward off bad dreams, but with its help he began to recover from the complications of his previous insomnia. Two days later, he was feeling well enough to leave the house. Finland was a bit puzzled when he saw his adopted son pulling on his coat and gloves that first day after work.

"Going somewhere, Sea?" he asked.

"Yeah, I… thought maybe I'd visit my parents' graves," he said with a frown.

"Oh!" Finland wasn't quite sure how to reply to that. He'd never heard Sealand mention that he'd been to visit them before. Sealand had always dodged questions about his parents, so perhaps he'd been and simply hadn't mentioned it. "Do you go often?"

Sealand shifted guiltily. "Never," he mumbled.

This surprised Finland, but it seemed rude to act shocked over this. He was sure Sealand had his reasons. "I see," he said finally.

"I thought about going loads of times, but… I kind of hoped that if I didn't go, there might be a tiny chance that they would come back for me some day. Maybe it would turn out that that attack hadn't killed them and they just went away to find a doctor or a magician that was good enough to heal them and then they'd be back…" Sealand broke off, looking embarrassed. "I know it's stupid, but I still hoped."

"Oh, Sea…" Finland said sadly.

"But then Liechtenstein said she thought that's why I kept having those awful dreams," Sealand said quietly. "She said she thought it would help to go say goodbye to them. It worked for her when her mum died, so I thought I would… I dunno…"

"She's probably right," Finland said pensively. "It's usually good to have hope, but maybe sometimes the best thing you can do for yourself is just acknowledge what happened so that you can finally move on…"

There was a thoughtful silence between the two of them. Then Finland spoke again.

"Would you like Sve and me to go with you?"

"Ah… no thanks, Sea should probably do this alone," Sealand said.

"I understand," Finland said somberly. "Well, try to be back in time for dinner, ok?"

"I will," Sealand promised as he pulled on his hat.

Finland watched him leave, his mind still occupied with their previous conversation. _I'm proud of him,_ Finland decided, _for doing what I still haven't gathered the courage to do._

* * *

><p>Sealand returned about two hours later. He seemed to be half-trying to hide the fact that his eyes were a bit red from crying by bowing his head, but otherwise he seemed a lot calmer and more at ease than Finland had seen him in days. Finland felt as though a decent-sized load had been removed from his shoulders at seeing Sealand doing so much better.<p>

"Why don't we visit the bathhouse after dinner?" he suggested. "I'm sure we could all use some relaxation."

"Yeah! Sea can't wait!" Sealand agreed enthusiastically.

"Sounds fun," Sweden said.

"I'll ask Mr. America if he wants to join us," Finland decided.

He poked his head down in America's workshop after dinner and shouted his invitation down the stairs to him. The clanking and scraping of metalworking tools paused for a moment before America replied.

"Sorry dude, but I'll have to sit this one out," he called. "I'm so, _so_ close to being done with my invention it's not even funny."

"Ok, good luck then!" But Finland's reply was almost drowned out by the sound of metalworking resuming once more.

* * *

><p>The three of them spent a long time at the bathhouse that evening. For the most part, the atmosphere was pleasantly relaxed, not quite cheerful, but still relatively comfortable, and lazy chatter accompanied the soft splashes and bubbling of water. They ended up choosing the onsen this time as they had been informed that a party was already occupying the hammam and they wanted a little privacy.<p>

Finland was able to smile when Sweden made a sort of crude water gun with his hands and squirted Sealand in the ear. This turned out to be a bit of a mistake on Sweden's part as Sealand, being a water sprite, retaliated by increasing the water flow from the souzu so that it sprayed Sweden in the face. Finland couldn't help laughing at that.

At the same time, now that the more pressing concerns that had been stressing him out lately had been dealt with, the ones that had been lurking behind them were threatening to bubble up. He couldn't stop thinking about what Russia had told him about what had become of his hometown. Finland tried not to dwell on it just now, but he could feel cold fingers of anxiety in his chest grasping for his heart.

His previous conversation with Sealand about dealing with grief convinced him that he needed to confront what he had done at last. He had put it off for long enough and he just wanted to finally come to terms with it so that he could move on with his life. Unlike before, Finland had more people to be concerned about these days than just himself. He felt that he owed it to Sweden and Sealand to deal with the skeletons in his closet so that he could devote his whole self to them. That didn't mean he was looking forward to confronting the issue, though.

America was waiting for them when they returned to the toyshop. He ushered them inside, and the grin on his face as he did so was so bright and excited that Finland doubted he could have hidden it even if he'd put a burlap sack over his head.

"You're late!" he said, looking like he hardly cared about that anymore now that they had finally arrived.

"I-I'm sorry, were you expecting us back at a certain time?" Finland stammered, a little confused.

"Not really, I just couldn't wait to show you my invention!" America boomed excitedly. "I finally finished it!"

"Brilliant! Where is it?" Sealand asked.

"You're looking at it!" America was practically dancing with glee as he gestured at the unmistakably empty air beside him.

A puzzled silence followed this statement. Then Sealand leaned in toward Sweden and whispered loudly, "I think this yank's off his rocker."

"I'm sorry, Mr. America, but I'm just as lost as Sealand," Finland said, suspecting some sort of prank. "I don't see anything."

They all jumped a bit when America let out a loud victory whoop and pumped his fist in the air. Now he really was dancing, and Finland and Sealand, as confused as they were, couldn't help laughing at his proud rooster-like strut. Even Sweden cracked a tiny smile.

"Yes! I really did it!" America cheered. "Maaan, I'm just way too awesome! Praise me as much as you want!"

"Are you going to tell us what you're on about or not?" Sealand demanded, looking half amused and half exasperated.

"Ha ha! England said it couldn't be done, but where there's super-mega-ultra awesomeness, there's a way!" America cackled. "I've just invented a machine that will make food out of nothing. It's called a sampo. And it's also completely invisible and untouchable to anyone but me!"

"You're mad," Sealand said, clearly not believing him.

"Don't believe me?" America asked with a grin. He reached out his fist and knocked on a spot beside him in thin air, producing a loud, clanking metallic noise.

The doubtful looks from all three of their faces slid off to be replaced by surprise. Sealand hurried over to where America was standing and tried to rap on the same place in the empty air that America had, but nothing happened. America cackled again and knocked on the side of his invention once more, producing the same noise.

"Alright then, make me something to eat if you're so great," Sealand said, trying not to sound as impressed as he clearly was.

"Well, it doesn't work quite like that," America said, his grin slipping slightly. "If you wanna get technical about it, it only really makes three things: flour, salt, and gold."

"GOLD?!"

"Yeah, well… I thought that function might come in handy sometime," America said, looking a little sheepish. "I mean, if the town ended up digging itself into a hole or something by accident."

"Make me some gold then!" Sealand demanded, his eyes shining avariciously.

"Alright, but this is the only time I'm doing this," America warned. "We can't go making craploads of gold and having it lose its value."

"Yeah yeah yeah, just fork it over already!"

America manipulated his machine briefly and then stood back. There was a bit of whirring and puffing and then a small plink. America bent down and picked up something from near the floor which he held out to Sealand proudly. Finland's eyes widened when he saw that it was a gold nugget about the size and shape of a marble. Sealand examined it closely, then looked back at America, newfound respect kindled in his eyes.

"Woah," he breathed.

"Cool, huh?" America asked, waggling his eyebrows.

"But Mr. America… why did you make it invisible and intangible?" Finland asked in awe.

"Glad you asked," America smirked. "As I was working on the sampo, I thought, 'Man, it would really suck if this got stolen, or if someone decided they wanted to go to war with us over this thing. I mean, how would a hero like me live knowing I'd caused something like that?' So I was trying to think about how I could prevent it from ever falling into the wrong hands, and I thought, why don't I just make it so I'm the only one who can use it? That would solve everything. And so I did."

America basked in their silent awe for a moment more before bending down and picking up what must have been a rope based on the way he was holding it, though they couldn't see the item itself.

"Well, I just wanted you guys to be the first ones to know about it since you were the ones who managed to call in all those favors and get me the materials I need," he said. "I still can't imagine what you must've done for people to get them to give you stuff this rare and expensive, but hey, I'm not complaining. I'm gonna take this over to the city council so we can start rationing out the flour and salt."

Sweden stepped aside and held open the door so that America could drag his machine outside and down the street.

* * *

><p>The four of them ended up having a big celebration over the completion of America's invention when America returned that night. With so many of the worries that had been plaguing the members of the toyshop group all clearing up so suddenly, they all felt like cutting lose and enjoying themselves. This meant that quite a bit of alcohol flowed that night.<p>

Unlike at their little holiday celebration where Finland had controlled himself and drank responsibly, he allowed himself to go all out tonight. Sweden watched as America foolishly challenged Finland to a shot drinking contest, which America lost spectacularly. He couldn't help being impressed. Finland wasn't that tall or large; where was he putting all that alcohol?

After a certain point, each drink made Finland increasingly giggly and flirtatious. America staggered drunkenly back to his room at the end of the night, not long after Sealand, who had become bored with watching the adults drink themselves silly and had gone to bed. This left Finland and Sweden alone together in the back room.

"Here Sve, have another drink," Finland offered cheerfully, holding out another mug of beer to the genie. "You're still acting way too sober!"

"'m a genie," Sweden reminded him. "Not 'ffected by alcohol."

"I guess not," Finland agreed, "or else you'd be trying to kiss me right now, wouldn't you?"

Sweden blushed, and Finland giggled.

"Well, even if you're too shy to kiss me, I'm not too shy to kiss you!" Finland chirped. "Pucker up!"

He began to lean in, causing something to twist painfully in Sweden's chest. The genie had done his damnedest to respect Finland's wishes when he'd said he wasn't ready for a relationship, even though it had taken so much willpower not to kiss him when he wanted to. Sweden wasn't about to let their first kiss happen this way. With another massive exercise of willpower, Sweden shielded Finland's lips with his fingers.

"Sorry," he mumbled. "'S much as I wanna kiss ya, I can't do it when yer like this. I know ya wouldn't be offerin' 'f ya were sober."

Finland was looked at him in hazy surprise. Then he kissed Sweden's fingertips. Sweden went scarlet, his heart torn between aching with sadness and longing and doing joyful loops in his chest.

"You're so wonderful, Sve," Finland breathed, nuzzling his face into Sweden's neck. "Such a gentleman. I want to do something to repay you."

"Y' don't hafta," Sweden murmured embarrassedly. "'M happy just bein' with ya."

"No, I mean it," Finland insisted. He was silent for a moment. "You never did tell me your wish."

"M' wish…" Sweden repeated slowly.

"Yeah, remember how I asked you when we first met and you were too shy to tell me?" Finland reminded him. "You can tell me now, can't you? I mean, after all we've been through together?"

Sweden considered this. It was still a little embarrassing, but he loved Finland. If there was anyone he could share this with, it was him. Finland's lips grazed his neck, sending a little shiver down Sweden's spine.

"M' wish is… t' be free," he whispered. "Always wanted t' be able t' meet someone nice t' start a fam'ly with… I'd build us a house, 'n' we'd have a dog 'n' a couple o' kids." He broke off, shrugging and blushing. "Might be nice."

Finland hummed softly, and Sweden could feel his soft lips curved into a smile against the side of his neck. "You're already part way there. We've kind of started a family together, and I've already promised to use one of my wishes on you. I won't forget."

Sweden turned his head, timidly snuggling his nose into Finland's silky, freshly-washed hair. "'F I could share m' freedom with ya as equals, I'd be th' happiest man 'n Earth," he breathed.

Finland was quiet for a long time, and Sweden wondered if he'd passed out or fallen asleep. But then Finland spoke again.

"Before you decide that, there's… something you have to know…" he mumbled.

Finland sounded as if his grip on his own consciousness was slipping, but it seemed that he was determined to get this out. Sweden swallowed hard. Could Finland be coming clean about his past at last?

"I… I did something terrible… an awful, nasty, cruel thing…" he murmured. "I didn't mean to… but it's still my fault. I was so _stupid_..."

"Whatever ya did, it won't change how I feel 'boutcha," Sweden said reassuringly. "I didn't fall fer th' person ya were b'fore that incident; I fell fer th' person ya are now."

"Please… don't promise me that before you hear," Finland requested hazily, sounding less and less lucid. "It's… it's… unforgiveable."

Sweden waited for him to continue, a sense of foreboding building in his chest. He almost wondered if maybe he was better off not knowing, but then he reminded himself that Finland needed to get past this if he was ever going to be truly happy.

"I… murdered… two children," Finland breathed.

And with that confession off his chest, Finland promptly lost consciousness.

* * *

><p>AN: The sampo is a magical mill from Finnish mythology. Originally I was going to draw more parallels between America and Ilmarinen, the legendary black smith from the Finnish epic poem Kalevala, but I already felt like I was stretching this story in too many different directions without going out of my way to connect the two of them so I backed off on that one.

The next chapter will probably be the last if it doesn't end up being too long for a single chapter. The closer I get to my planned ending, the more insecure I become about it.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: **Argh, I'm sooooo sorry it took me this long to get the next chapter up! My health has been in the toilet for months, I've been in and out of the hospital, and Japan has provided me with the worst medical care I've ever received in my life. You'd think that all the time I spent in the hospital would have given me time to write, but it's surprisingly hard to put coherent words on paper when you're having trouble just drawing a breath.

Anyway, I was planning to wrap it up with this chapter, but it was getting so long that I decided to split it into two. I'm a little worried about how this chapter turned out and whether this was a good ending, but... well, you can decide for yourselves. I hope you'll enjoy it!

* * *

><p>Sweden ended up having to carry Finland to bed that night. The genie looked down at his unconscious master sadly as Finland's head lolled limply against his shoulder. Although it had been many years ago, perhaps even centuries (it was so easy to lose track of time inside his lamp), Sweden vividly remembered how he'd felt after being forced to kill someone for the first time.<p>

The victim had been an adulterer who was fooling around with Sweden's master's wife and his master had forced him to help him take revenge against him. Sweden, not possessing a stomach, had never been sick before, but having seen how people acted when they were sick made him feel sure that if he had owned the proper parts for it, he would have been at that time. Being forced to murder in cold blood these people that had never done Sweden any harm was quite possibly the most wretched part of his slavish existence. Though he had been forced to kill many times since then, he never forgot the face of that first victim, or any victim since.

Many of the people he had been made to kill had done wrong, but he rarely felt that their actions warranted the sometimes horrific deaths that his masters wished on them. The feeling of having been unintentionally or unwillingly responsible for taking someone's life was one that Sweden would never wish on anyone, least of all his beloved Finland. And to think that Finland's crime had taken place when he was only fifteen years old, when he had been hardly more than a child himself… Sweden's heart ached for him as he held him close that night as Finland slept on obliviously in the genie's arms.

* * *

><p>It was mid-morning by the time Finland finally stirred. Sweden had already fixed Sealand his breakfast and sent him to work, though he had told a rather hungover America that Finland wasn't feeling well and requested a day off for the two of them. Thinking that Germany, owning a bar and a brewery, might know of something that would help a hangover, Sweden had gone to visit him before Finland had awoken. Germany presented him with something from his private stash, a clear, slightly syrupy liquid that apparently contained aloe, which he said would help Finland get hydrated and on his feet again.<p>

Sweden had just returned with the drink when Finland began to wake. He sat on the edge of Finland's bed and smoothed his hair aside gently.

"How ya feelin'?" he asked.

"Ugggh, my head hurts," Finland moaned. "And my mouth is dryer than a pinecone…"

"Thoughcha might be feelin' bad," Sweden said softly, trying not to aggravate Finland's headache. "This'll help ya feel better."

He passed the bottle to Finland who took a big swallow and sighed, leaning over to rest his forehead on Sweden's shoulder. "Thank you," he murmured. "You're wonderful, Sve."

Sweden's cheeks pinked slightly at the compliment but said nothing, opting to rub Finland's back soothingly instead. He was dying to ask about the details of what Finland had confessed to him last night, but he didn't want to rush the matter when Finland was already feeling miserable. Finland took another gulp of his drink, but this time with a sort of thoughtful silence.

"I… think I owe you an apology for last night," he said, looking timidly up at Sweden, his cheeks dusted with pink, "when I, um… taunted you with that kiss. I don't know what I was thinking… I'm really sorry if I hurt you."

"Don' worry 'bout it," Sweden said gruffly. "Surprised y' even r'member after how much y' drank."

"Mm… Things are a little fuzzy, but I think I remember most of what happened…" Finland said, sounding nervous. "But maybe I only think I remember…"

There was a slightly uncomfortable silence between the two of them, and Finland took another drink of the aloe concoction in an attempt to distract himself from it.

"Y' said somethin' int'resting last night," Sweden said when he could take the suspense no more. "'Bout… why y' left home."

Finland tensed, and Sweden heard him swear under his breath. He was probably hoping that he'd remembered incorrectly when he thought he recalled telling Sweden what he'd done.

"'D like t' know more 'bout what happened, if y' don't mind tellin' me," Sweden continued.

Finland hesitated, then looked up at him, his eyes wide and growing slightly glassy. "You… you still love me…" he whispered, sounding amazed and relieved. "I thought maybe… once you found out what I'd done, you'd be so disgusted…"

Sweden could feel his heart breaking for poor Finland, and before he could reign in his feelings, he was embracing Finland firmly. Finland laid his head hesitantly on Sweden's shoulder, his arms curling shyly around the genie's waist. Sweden could feel himself growing steadily redder as it soaked in that he had given in to his impulse to hug Finland and the action was being returned, but he didn't let go.

"Promised t' love ya no matter whatcha'd done, didn' I?" Sweden reminded him in an embarrassed mumble.

"I know, but murder… especially when the victims are children… it's unforgivable," Finland whispered. "Even if it was an accident, their lives have still been erased because of me."

"I've killed b'fore too," Sweden reminded him. "M' masters forced me. Know how 't feels t' have unwanted blood on m' hands."

Finland shook his head. "That's different. You had no choice. My crimes could have been prevented if I hadn't been so stupid and naïve…"

"Why don'tcha tell me 'bout it?" Sweden suggested. "Y' said there were s'me things 'bout what happened thatcha weren't sure 'bout, right? Maybe we c'n use m' magic t' sort it out."

"I… I know I need to face it," Finland admitted. "I'm just a little scared of what I'll learn."

Sweden nuzzled his nose into Finland's soft golden hair so that his lips grazed the rim of his ear in a timid half-kiss and rubbed his back soothingly. "We c'n face it t'gether. 'M here 'f y' need me."

Finland held him tighter, and Sweden could feel him trembling. "Thank you," he breathed. "I owe you so much…"

They held each other in silence for a long moment. Then at last Finland spoke again.

"Might as well get it over with," he mumbled. "It's not going to be any easier no matter how long I wait."

"Y' sure yer feelin' well 'nough?" Sweden asked concernedly. "How's yer hangover?"

"My head still hurts a little, but that drink really helped," Finland said. "I… kind of just want to get this over with before I lose my nerve."

"Mm," Sweden said in understanding.

Finland drew a deep trembling breath and began his story. "I guess it all started about six and a half years ago. My family lived in a small mining village about half the size of Pohjola. We had some agriculture there, but the soil wasn't very good and it was difficult to grow things. Famines were pretty common, but I guess my family was better off than a lot of others in my area because my parents were import merchants. When the famines would hit, our family would donate what we could so that the other villagers wouldn't starve.

"Then when my older brother Norway turned 14, he developed the ability to influence nature. Because he was so young, his powers weren't strong enough to be a fail-proof solution to the village's poor soil problems, but it helped a ton. Thanks to him, local farmers were usually able to help everyone keep food on the table. At that point, we were basically carrying the whole village on our shoulders, and had gained more de facto power than the town's authorities.

"But it was tough on Norway; using his powers so often was a big drain on him and he would get sick a lot from exhaustion. Our family wished for a way to lessen his burden. That's when my parents happened to meet Estonia and his younger brother Latvia during their travels. Estonia was two years younger than me, but he was very intelligent and showed great promise as a scholar. His studies were focused on improving soil in areas that weren't fertile enough to reliably sustain their populations, but his family wasn't wealthy enough to afford the resources to help him fully realize his potential.

"He was exactly the kind of person my parents had been looking for. If Estonia's studies and experiments were successful, he could help relieve some of the strain on Norway and make life much easier for everyone in our village. They offered to sponsor his studies in return for him becoming a servant in our household. His parents saw that this was a good way to ensure a more promising future for their children and persuaded them to take Latvia too, and the two of them came to live with us."

Finland hesitated, and Sweden felt a sense of foreboding sweep through him. He thought he had an idea about who might turn out to be Finland's unintentional victims.

"And for the first year and a half, things were great. Estonia was a really cool guy and we got to be good friends, and Latvia wasn't bad either, even if he was too young for us to really want to hang around with him all the time. And on top of that, Estonia had made a few promising advances in his research. The future seemed bright for everyone… And then…"

A shudder ran through Finland's body as his voice petered out. Sweden rubbed his back again comfortingly as Finland tried to continue with his story, but it seemed that his throat had constricted, making speech impossible. Sweden picked up the bottle of aloe drink that Finland had set aside and offered it to him. Finland took it with shaking hands and took a swallow with some difficulty.

"I… I'm sorry, I…" Finland choked, his eyes downcast and his face ghastly pale. Sweden could feel him trembling uncontrollably.

"'S ok, take yer time," Sweden said gently.

It took a moment for Finland to collect himself, but when his throat had relaxed enough that he could produce intelligible sounds, he looked up at Sweden, his face still ashen and distressed. "Maybe it would be easier if I just showed you."

"Y' wanna use a wish t' show me?" Sweden asked.

Finland shook his head. "I-it's ok. I can… I can use my own magic."

Sweden blinked at him in surprise, but Finland took no notice. He simply laid his head on Sweden's shoulder and began to sing softly into Sweden's ear. A shiver passed through Sweden's body as the unearthly, but honey-sweet sound swept over him. Unlike the previous time when Finland had sung to Russia and Belarus to stay their hands against Sealand, Sweden understood every word of this song as if the words had been written just for him. But it wasn't an intellectual understanding, for if anyone had asked him to explain the contents of the song he would have found himself at a loss. He could only describe it as a spiritual understanding, as if Finland was bypassing his brain completely and speaking directly to his soul.

And suddenly their dimly lit little room was melting away from Sweden's consciousness and he was seeing a different place all together, one he didn't recognize. It was a wide open field peppered sparsely with sickly-looking trees. A mild summer breeze rippled the yellowish grass. It wasn't quite a picturesque scene, but it didn't have the sinister feel to it that one might expect of the location of the murder of two children.

Judging by his vantage point he was running through the field, but Sweden could still feel his body sitting on the bed in his and Finland's room, Finland wrapped in his arms. It occurred to him vaguely that this must be Finland's memory. He was certainly a lot closer to the ground than he would be if he were experiencing the event through his own eyes.

Sweden found his gaze lowering to focus on a basket swinging from his hand. He could feel its weight as he hurried toward his unknown destination. If the direction of his current movement was anything to judge by, he was heading for a nearby tree whose branches offered shade from the summer sun.

Sweden's field of vision swung around suddenly to look over his shoulder and his eyes fell on two other boys following him not far behind. One had neatly trimmed golden hair and glasses, and the younger one had a messy mop of darker hair which couldn't seem to decide whether it wanted to be curly or straight. The older boy held a small jug of what appeared to be cream, and the youngest boy was clutching a folded blanket as he struggled to keep up with his older companions. Could these two be Estonia and Latvia? It seemed a safe bet.

"Let's sit under that one!" came a younger-sounding version of Finland's voice as he pointed at the tree he was heading for.

Finland's jog slowed and then came to a stop near the foot of the tree. The older of Finland's companions, which Sweden supposed must be Estonia, joined him shortly, and the younger one, probably Latvia, arrived last, breathing hard. Finland held his hand out to Latvia who handed him the blanket which Finland spread out on the ground. The three of them plopped down on it and Finland put the basket down between them.

"I'm starving!" Latvia said, leaning forward eagerly to see what Finland was going to take out of the basket.

"Just wait 'til you see what I brought us," Finland replied, sounding proud of himself.

"Please tell me you have poronkäristys in there," Estonia said, mimicking Latvia's eager posture.

Sweden felt Finland's lips curve upwards at the corners as he opened the basket and produced a covered dish, whose lid he removed with a flourish. A rich and delicious smelling steam rose from the dish of sautéed reindeer meat. Estonia did a little victory fist pump at having his wish granted, which drew a laugh from Finland.

Sweden watched through Finland's eyes as he proceeded to remove more dishes from the basket, these containing mashed lingonberries, boiled potatoes, rye bread, and a round of baked Finnish squeaky cheese covered in cinnamon, sugar and cloudberry jam. The genie wasn't sure if his mouth was actually watering at the sight of this tantalizing food or if it was just Finland who was reacting this way, but it certainly looked delicious. Clearly Estonia and Latvia agreed because with each dish that Finland removed from the basket, they made hums and whistles of approval.

"Not a bad haul," Estonia said with a grin as he served himself.

"I love Miss Hungary's cooking," Latvia commented, filling his own plate, "even if she is kind of scary sometimes."

"It's been a while since I last had this cheese," Finland said happily as he sliced up his portion. "Perfect for a special occasion."

Estonia chewed his sautéed reindeer thoughtfully. "That's right, you said something interesting to tell us, didn't you?"

"What is it?" Latvia asked around a mouthful of potatoes. "Are your parents bringing you back something cool from Egypt?"

Finland grinned and shook his head. "Even better than that."

"Did something good happen between you and Thailand?" Estonia guessed, a slight air of mischief about his smile.

"Jeez, would you drop that already?" Finland said, sounding a touch exasperated. "We're just friends. I don't know where you got the idea that there was anything between us."

"Say what you want, Finland," Estonia said, taking another bite of his food. "I've seen the way you two smile at each other."

Finland rolled his eyes. "Thailand smiles at everyone. Anyway, no. It's not that either. I had my power dream last night!"

Sweden had heard of this before. It seemed that humans received their single magical ability when they reached maturity. The nature of their new power would be revealed to them in a dream and from then on they would be able to develop and use it.

Sweden had witnessed young humans feeling a little drunk with their new powers and trying to throw their weight around on more than one occasion, but it seemed that a human's ability was usually fairly weak when they received it and it wasn't that difficult for them to be overpowered by more experienced adults. There were exceptions to this however; one of Sweden's previous masters had gained the ability to breathe fire like a dragon and burnt down half his village after having his powers for only a week. In doing so, he had killed Sweden's master at the time and thus came into ownership of the genie. Sweden shuddered at his memory.

"Lucky!" Latvia groaned jealously. "I can't wait until I have _my_ power dream!"

"So what's your power?" Estonia asked. "It must be a good one for you to look this excited."

"Just wait until you hear!" Finland gushed. "I can control people's minds and bodies by singing certain songs!"

"S-seriously?!" Estonia stammered, looking flabbergasted. "That sounds like an incredibly powerful ability!"

"It is!" Finland confirmed excitedly. "I tested it out on Norway this morning; he was about to choke Denmark for saying something he thought was annoying, but I made him change his mind. And when he was about to take the last of the jam at the breakfast table this morning, I had him give it to me instead."

"Norway's lucky to have such a nice brother who doesn't abuse his powers," Estonia remarked. "Imagine what Belarus would use that power to have Russia do if it were hers."

The three of them shivered.

"Imagine what _we_ could have Russia do," Finland pointed out. "Or Belarus."

Estonia and Latvia looked thoughtful, but slightly uneasy at the thought of seeking out either of them.

"Like what?" Estonia asked.

"I mean… well, wouldn't it be nice to be able to walk past their house without having to worry about being dragged inside or getting chased by Belarus?" Finland asked. "Their house is in between mine and the road my parents use when they come back into town. I always wish I could take the easy route to that road past Russia's house, but it's too scary and I have to take the long way instead. Maybe if I used my powers they would ignore us when we pass by."

"That's true," Estonia agreed. "It sure would be nice if they would just leave us alone from now on."

"Yes, please do that!" Latvia pleaded, his whole body shaking with fear. "I would be so happy if I never had to play with Russia again!"

"Hmm… it wouldn't be easy, though," Finland said with a frown. "I'd have to get close enough for them to be able to hear my voice before my powers will work."

The three of them shuddered again.

"It's interesting that you got a power that revolves around music," Estonia said. "I mean, you said you've always loved your music lessons the most, and you've always been really good at singing."

"Not as good as you, Estonia," Finland replied with a smile. "But yeah, it is an interesting coincidence."

"Maybe it's not a coincidence," Estonia proposed. "If I wasn't focusing on soil improvement, the study of how a person's existing interests and skills influence the powers they develop is another topic I'd like to do some research on…" He trailed off thoughtfully for a moment, then picked up the conversation again. "I wonder what else you could use your powers for."

"Lots of things, I guess," Finland said happily, returning to his sautéed reindeer and lingonberries. "I was thinking maybe I could use them to make Miss Hungary forget to make us get out of the sauna for bed. I bet it would feel good to sleep in there!"

Estonia laughed at Finland's harmlessly mischievous idea. "That's not exactly what I was thinking. I was wondering if they could help my research somehow. Is there a way to make someone smarter, or more observant, or anything like that?"

Finland contemplated this with a small frown. "I don't know everything about my powers yet, so I'm not really sure. It might be possible, but I'd have to take some more time to figure out how this works."

A sort of thoughtful silence descended upon the three boys as they continued to progress through their lunches. After a moment, Latvia spoke.

"Oh, I just remembered!" he blurted, sounding excited. "When Estonia and I left home, our parents gave us some family heirlooms to take with us to remember home by. One of the things my father gave me was a book of classical songs from his homeland. They're written in a very old-fashioned version of my father's native language so Estonia and I can't understand them, but he said the songs were magic if someone with the right abilities sang them. Maybe there's something in there that could help! I'm sure you could awaken the magic in those songs with your power, Finland!"

The older boys considered this.

"But you just said that you couldn't understand them, right?" Finland pointed out. "How will we know if any of them are useful?"

"Maybe we could just try a few and see if anything happens," Latvia suggested. "Wouldn't it be great if one of them ended up being the thing that helped Estonia complete his research? We'd be heroes!"

"I don't know, Latvia…" Estonia said slowly, looking uncertain. "I don't think it's a very good idea to mess around with magic we don't understand. Some of those songs could turn out to be dangerous."

"But… Father wouldn't give me something dangerous, would he?" Latvia pointed out. "I'm sure he made sure they were safe before he gave me the book."

"Hmm… but Father didn't have that much education. He might not have been able to understand the songs either…"

"I am kind of curious about the music," Finland remarked. "I've always thought music from other countries was interesting."

"You don't think it could be dangerous?" Estonia asked.

"Well, maybe if my powers had a broader scope… like if I could control things besides people, then I could see how it could be bad, but they don't work like that," Finland explained. "And it's only the three of us here to hear the song, so it's not like I could accidentally turn the whole town into bloodthirsty fiends, or somehow summon… I don't know, a giant foreign army to attack our town or anything like that. I really don't think there's any harm in trying a few out."

"Hmm…" Estonia said again, looking troubled.

"I'll go get the book," Latvia said eagerly, setting aside his nearly empty plate and hurrying away towards Finland's house.

Sweden wasn't sure how long Latvia was gone, but it couldn't have been as short a time as Finland's memory suggested. Finland must have skipped ahead to save on time because mere seconds later, Latvia was running towards them again excitedly, clutching a large and very old-looking tome against his chest. Panting, he offered the book to Finland, who took and opened it carefully on the blanket in front of him. The other two boys circled around behind him to examine the pages over his shoulders.

The age-browned pages were crowded with measures of music, the lyrics recorded beneath the staffs were in flowing foreign script. Each one had a title affixed above the music in highly ornate, painstakingly drawn letters. Sweden couldn't make heads or tails of it, and judging by the fact that nothing was clicking in Finland's head, it seemed that the meanings of the words were a mystery to him as well. But he could feel excitement bubbling up within Finland at the sight of it, so apparently it was still of interest to him even if he couldn't understand the words.

"What do you think?" Latvia asked tentatively after a moment. "Can you read the music?"

Finland said nothing, but began to tap out a beat with his finger in the margin of the page and hummed a slightly halting tune. Sweden supposed he must be getting a feel for the melody before he tried out the words.

"The melody's a little bit tough, but I think I can handle it," Finland said eventually. "I'm just not sure about the lyrics. I wonder if not knowing how to pronounce the words will keep the spells from working like they're supposed to."

"I still think we should leave it alone," Estonia said uneasily.

"I'll just try this one and if nothing happens, we can quit," Finland said.

Estonia looked unhappy, but seemed unwilling to leave Latvia who was waiting eagerly for Finland's performance.

"Can you sense anything about it?" Latvia asked. "I don't know how your powers work, but does humming it give you any idea what the song is about?"

"Mm… I don't know what it's about, but I can tell some things about it," Finland said. "It has a medium tempo most of the way through and starts out in a minor key before moving into a natural key near the end."

"What can you tell from that?" Latvia asked, sounding slightly mystified.

"The minor key has kind of a sadder, darker sound, but then the natural key makes it sound a little brighter and happier," Finland explained.

"That sounds kind of good, right?" Latvia said. "Like it's making something better."

"It's the sad, dark part that worries me," Estonia said.

"But it brightens up at the end," Finland pointed out. "I'm with Latvia on this one; I think it seems like it'll help something. Who knows, maybe we'll get lucky and it'll end up being something that helps your research."

Sweden could feel an excited pounding in his chest, and it took a moment for it to dawn on him that this must be a heartbeat. It was difficult to tell whether the pounding of his heart that he was feeling through Finland's memories was because Finland had really been that excited to see the effects of the mysterious magical song at the time or if it was something his mind had added afterwards, now knowing how this situation would turn out. Either way, Sweden had a bad feeling about this.

Finland hummed the song softly to himself again, practicing. Then he began to sing in earnest. Sweden didn't feel the strange haze coming over him that usually accompanied Finland's singing this time. He supposed that Finland's songs must lose their power when experienced through memory. It seemed that this was not the case for Estonia and Latvia, however. Their eyes took on a glazed look as they listened raptly to Finland's song.

Then suddenly they fell where they stood, without so much as a twitch or shudder. Their eyelids simply fluttered shut and their legs crumpled beneath them. Finland stopped singing immediately as they hit the ground and he looked around at his two fallen companions dazedly. His gaze fell back to the book in front of him, his eyes widening in horror and then swung back up to the limp forms of his friends.

"E-Estonia? Latvia?" Finland said tremulously. "Hey, what's wrong?!"

There was no response. Sweden could feel the beginnings of anxiety welling up in his chest. _It's a joke, _came Finland's uneasy guess in Sweden's head. _They're just playing around; in a minute they'll get up. _

"Alright you guys, ha ha, very funny," he said, though his voice was edged with discomfiture. "You really taught me a lesson."

He leaned forward, reaching over the book and gave the ticklish part of Estonia's ribs a good poke. The other boy didn't give so much as a twitch of his eyelid in response. The trepidation in Sweden's borrowed chest was growing. He snapped the book shut and shoved it aside to give himself better access to his friends' prone forms. Finland reached out hesitantly and shook Latvia with trembling hands.

"Come on, it's not funny anymore! Cut it out!" he ordered sharply in a voice that sounded most unlike him. "Please Estonia! Get up! Latvia!"

Neither boy moved a muscle. Shivering from head to toe, Finland pressed his ear to each of their chests, searching for a heartbeat, held his hand under their noses, praying to feel warm breath against his skin, but there was nothing. There could be no mistake about it; they were stone-cold dead.

"No… how could they be…?" Finland choked. "This… this isn't happening…"

Sweden felt a kind of numb terror and disbelief rising inside of him via Finland, a cold sweat breaking out all over his body. Young Finland crouched there at the dead boys' sides, shaking like a leaf, his mind a whir of indecision and fear.

_I can't just leave them like this. _The words flashed through Sweden's mind as if the thoughts were his own. _Argh, what do I do?! If I tell anyone what happened, they'll think I killed them! I mean, I'm the only on here; who else could it have been? …But I really did kill them. This is all my fault, if only I'd listened to Estonia… God, how could I have been so stupid?! How did this happen?! I'm a murderer now! A _murderer_!_

Finland's vision clouded with tears of sheer terror and frustration. His whole body was cold and tingling the way a person's foot does when it falls asleep, and his stomach felt as if someone were beating its contents with an electric mixer. He wondered if he would be sick.

_Norway…_ he thought desperately. _I can tell Norway what happened. Maybe he'll know what to do._

Finland struggled to his feet though his legs felt like jelly and raced home as fast as his unsteady limbs would carry him. Time was moving strangely during this part of the memory. Sweden supposed it must have been due to Finland's disturbed state of mind. It seemed to Sweden as if they were teleporting towards Finland's house, leaping impossible distances at a time.

"N-Norway!" Finland gasped, throwing open his front door. "Norway, where are you?! Something… s-something terrible… has happened!"

Denmark and Norway appeared from somewhere in the depths of the house looking puzzled and concerned by the obvious distress in Finland's voice.

"What's wrong, Fin?" Denmark asked. "You look like you just saw a ghost or somethin'!"

Finland's lips moved like a fish out of water trying desperately to draw in oxygen but no words came out. Sweden could feel that the boy's throat was tight as if it had swollen shut. His eyes darted around restlessly as his numb brain searched for the words to express his dilemma.

"Estonia and Latvia… there was a book of m-music and… I didn't think, I just wanted to try… but it went wrong…" he stammered. "Oh, why didn't I listen to Estonia?!"

He pounded the door frame in frustration with himself, his eyes filling with tears again. Norway and Denmark traded startled looks and Norway drew closer to Finland, putting a hand comforting on his shoulder. Denmark followed at a slight distance.

"Calm down, Fin… it's ok," Norway said, and though his voice and face were as unexpressive as ever, Sweden could tell that he was deeply concerned for his younger brother. "What happened to Estonia and Latvia?"

"They're… dead," Finland breathed, tears tumbling down his cheeks and pattering almost noiselessly on the front of his tunic. "I… I k-killed them somehow… But please, you have to listen to me! I didn't mean to, I swear! I just… I-I don't know how… how it…"

They seemed to be teleporting again. Sweden guessed moments before they arrived that Finland must be taking Norway and Denmark back to where his dead friends laid. The only thing he could hear as they dashed back to the open field was Finland's shaky mantra of "I'm s-sorry… I sw-swear it was an accident… Oh god, I'm so… so sorry…"

When the whirl of scenery became still once more at last, Norway and Denmark dropped to their knees beside Latvia and Estonia, checking their vitals the way Finland had. When they found no sign of life in either boy, they looked up at Finland again in numb disbelief.

"I'm sorry…" Finland squeaked desperately. "I…I didn't mean to… I would never have… not on purpose… Please, you have to believe me! You believe me, don't you?!"

The older boys were silent. Sweden supposed that they were too shocked to know what to believe. Finland seemed to have a good relationship with his brothers; Sweden couldn't imagine that they would actually think he would intentionally kill anyone, let alone friends. But looking at their faces as he experienced the undiluted panic that was gripping Finland, it was easy to see how he could have construed their stunned and confused expressions as accusing.

The next few scenes came in a muddled whirlwind. Sweden wasn't sure if he was seeing them this way because Finland was skipping ahead to the important bits or if it was because Finland had been so traumatized by his accidental crime that he only remembered the events in flashes.

He saw a growing group of people crowding around the dead boys. There were cries of surprise and fear, and suspicious mutters. "_Isn't that the boy who was trying to find a way to improve our soil?_" "_He was going to save us all… If his research had been successful, we would never have had to worry about famine again._" "_Think about it: if he had found a way to improve the soil, we wouldn't need the __Väinämöinen_ _family's magic anymore. He definitely had a reason to off them." "Accident, my ass!" _

Sweden saw a courtroom next, Finland shivering fearfully before a panel of men that Sweden supposed must be the city council, or perhaps the village elders.

"Though the council believes that you deserve to hang for your crimes, we cannot overlook the generous donations and aid your family has provided throughout the years," the stern-faced spokesman said gravely. "Thus we will be merciful and sentence you to permanent exile from this nation."

There was an outburst of booing from the crowd, from Finland's lifelong friends and neighbors. There could be no mistake from the expressions on their faces that they wanted his blood. The spokesman had to raise his voice to be heard over the outcry of the crowd.

"Your powers are a danger to everyone around you. And hear this, young man: if you ever set foot in this country again, we will see that you are hanged for certain."

The last flash Sweden saw was of Finland shoving his belongings into a pack that looked far too large and heavy to be carried by such a slender, small-statured boy and sorrowfully bidding farewell to his brothers.

Suddenly the scene was fading from in front of Sweden's eyes and he became aware of the familiar surroundings of their room once more. Present-day Finland was clinging to him, trembling like a leaf. Sweden hugged him close and rubbed his back gently in understanding and sympathy. To tell the truth, he'd almost expected something more horrific and he was relieved to see that the circumstances hadn't been as bloody as he'd originally pictured. Not that he was dismissing the pain and guilt that Finland must be feeling. Whether it had been gruesome or not, it had been an undoubtedly tragic and traumatic situation.

"Can't 'magine how hard it musta been for ya," Sweden murmured.

"You must think I'm stupid," Finland breathed. "It's true. I… I should have listened to Estonia… If only I had respected my power as the deadly weapon it is…"

Sweden couldn't deny that what Finland had done had been very unwise, but Finland had already spent five years cursing himself for the foolishness of his youth. He didn't need Sweden to tell him that it had been a bad idea.

"Y' said there were s'me things ya were wonderin' 'bout," Sweden reminded him. "Y' wanna know what the song meant?"

Finland nodded hesitantly against his chest. "I know it probably won't help anything, but I… I have to know. The hope that maybe that song didn't kill them has been the only thing that's kept me going all these years… I guess it wouldn't make any difference now. Even if that song didn't kill them then, leaving them in that state probably did. If they'd somehow healed on their own after that, I'm sure Russia would have known about it…"

Sweden considered saying that he wasn't so sure that Russia would have told him even if such a thing had happened; Russia had seemed like a bit of a bully to him. But he decided against it. His master was about to make a wish and that was what he needed to be focused on right now.

"Make yer formal wish when yer ready, then," Sweden said.

Sweden heard Finland take a deep, shuddering breath. "I wish I could understand the lyrics of that song," he whispered, his voice so quiet that if Finland hadn't been in his arms Sweden might not have heard it.

"Your wish is my command," Sweden replied softly.

* * *

><p>This was it. Years of hopes and fears and desperation were about to be put to an end right now. Either Finland was a murderer as the overwhelming evidence suggested, or perhaps, by some unbelievably amazing stroke of luck, things were not as they had seemed. Finland felt sick with fear. He hadn't been so terrified since that fateful day five years ago.<p>

Finland opened his mouth again, and he wasn't sure if it was to ask Sweden if he could retract that wish or to vomit, but he never found out. Suddenly that haunting foreign song, the one that had echoed through his nightmares for years, was filling his head, and there was no longer anything he could do but sit and listen for the mystery to be unraveled at last.

_Friends, though the future's bleak,_

_And we teeter on the brink of war,_

_If you'll listen to these words I speak,_

_You needn't worry anymore._

_The living can no longer harm the dead,_

_And so you'll seem to be._

_May our widespread stillness fill with dread_

_Our approaching enemy._

_To a sleep as deep as death_

_Is where my song shall send you._

_For now friends still your very breath_

_Until the threat has passed through._

_So though for now we must say goodbye,_

_Let me confirm my intentions be not mistaken._

_We'll meet again; that day is nigh._

_At my next song, safely you'll awaken!_

The silence that filled the room was so complete that noises from the toyshop could be heard. Finland blinked as his numb brain struggled to process this new information. He was hardly aware of how closely Sweden was watching him, awaiting his reaction. In fact, he had to run over the translation again, having been so paralyzed with fear at the prospect of finding out the truth about that day that he had scarcely taken in any of it. Then he ran over it again, and then once more.

Finally, when it had all sunk in, he looked up at Sweden, his eyes wide with disbelief.

"I didn't… All this time they've just been…" Finland trailed off, unable to form intelligible sentences while his brain was still rebooting.

"Y' were innocent," Sweden whispered for him. "Ya never killed 'nyone."

Finland's eyes began to fill with tears. He wasn't a murderer. Estonia and Latvia hadn't died by his hand. _He wasn't a murderer. _

Finland was vaguely aware of the swell of liberation and happiness that was growing inside of Sweden on his behalf. The genie smiled as he wiped Finland's tears away gently.

"I… I was innocent…" Finland whispered, almost afraid of saying it too loudly when he himself was still struggling to believe it.

"Mm," Sweden confirmed softly, rubbing Finland's back.

Finland trembled with relief and exhaustion, simply letting Sweden hold him. He felt very tired, as if he had just set down a several ton burden and was finally being allowed to rest. His eyes closed as he snuggled into Sweden's embrace. Sweden nuzzled his nose into Finland's hair, his lips resting against the top of his head. The two of them basked in the moment for a long while, not saying anything.

Then Finland's eyes blinked open again as something occurred to him: it was too early to be pronouncing himself innocent. Even if he had just put Latvia and Estonia into a deep sleep rather than having killed them five years ago, he didn't know whether they would still be alive after all this time. It seemed likely that they would have received a burial after all was said and done. Would their enchanted sleep have prevented them from starving or freezing to death?

Finland sniffled and wiped his eyes, separating himself gently from Sweden and getting to his feet. "This is no time to be sitting around," he said. "Now that I know that I didn't kill them, I have to go to where they are and see if it's too late to make this whole mess right again."

Sweden looked understanding, albeit slightly disappointed that they wouldn't be continuing their cuddling. He got to his feet as well.

"Y' wanna use 'nother wish?" he asked.

"I think that would be the best way," Finland confirmed. "I wish to go to where Estonia and Latvia are, and to be able to return when I'm done there… Is that ok, for me to have two parts to my wish?"

Sweden nodded, swiftly gathering Finland's coat, hat and gloves, as well as a flaming branch from the fireplace. Preparations complete, he took Finland's hand and teleported them away.

* * *

><p>If Finland hadn't been able to feel solid ground under his feet and the oppressive, frozen silence pressing in on them from all sides, he might have wondered if they were still traveling. The little flame wavering timidly on the end of the branch that Sweden had grabbed from the fireplace seemed so small in the face of such all-consuming darkness. Finland shivered and pulled on his winter garments as quickly as he could.<p>

"Yer people bury their dead 'n catacombs?" Sweden asked, peering around them through the darkness.

"Usually only the wealthy can be buried this way," Finland explained. "Maybe my family paid for their burial as a show of regret?"

He took the torch from Sweden and held it close to the wall, looking for where his friends had been laid to rest. It didn't take him long to find them even in the dark; Sweden had brought them to exactly the right place.

"Here they are," Finland whispered, indicating the space containing the boys' bodies. "Could you help me pull this out?"

Sweden slipped the torch into his belt so that it wouldn't be extinguished by the damp ground and grabbed the stone slab that had been fitted into an inlet in the wall. The two of them pulled it out so that it hung open like a drawer.

Since the burial chamber had been built at a generous size even for an adult occupant, the two smaller forms of Estonia and Latvia had been laid out together on the same stone slab. They were dressed warmly in cloaks and furs. If Finland hadn't known better, he would have guessed that they were sons from a wealthy family. His parents must have really helped a lot with funeral expenses.

The most surreal thing was the way their faces looked: peaceful, youthful, looking exactly as Finland remembered them. They had neither aged nor decayed. The boys looked like they might awaken if Finland simply shook them. It made Finland hopeful that it may not be too late.

He swallowed hard and reached for the reassurance of Sweden's hand in the cold, dark tomb. The genie's fingers curled around his, giving them a gentle squeeze. That gave Finland the strength he needed to begin his song.

The notes echoed off the walls of the cavern, wavering timidly but hopefully in the frigid, still air. Finland wondered vaguely about halfway through his song whether other seemingly dead occupants of the tomb would suddenly sit up at his command. The thought of a cave full of people who had until very recently been dead rising unexpectedly around him sent a shiver down his spine but he continued to sing, shoving the unpleasant idea to the back of his mind.

After a moment, Finland came to the end of his song and let it peter out fearfully into silence. Nothing happened. Estonia and Latvia didn't move a muscle. Had it failed? Searing cold dread began to rise up in Finland's throat. Perhaps he really was to late after all. He glanced nervously up at Sweden. The genie gave his hand another gentle squeeze.

"Been sleepin' fer five years," he reminded Finland. "Might take a minute fer it t' work."

Finland hardly heard him; too many pessimistic thoughts were crowding his mind. _I failed. I waited too long and they ended up dying for real. I'm just as guilty as I feared I was… Murderer… Murderer!_

The seconds crept by in silence at a snail's pace. Neither boy stirred. Finland could feel his knees weakening with dread. He felt sick. Sweden was watching him; Finland could feel it, but he didn't return his gaze. His knees gave out slowly and he sank to the floor, lowering his face into his hands.

When a tiny noise reached Finland's ears, he half thought it was Sweden moaning with grief on his behalf. But then a miniscule bit of movement in the corner of his limited field of vision caught his attention. Sweden held the torch closer to the bodies on the stone slab so that they could see better.

Finland's heart nearly stopped. Estonia… Latvia… they were beginning to stir. It was faint at first, as if the feeling were coming back to their extremities gradually. But now there was no mistaking it. Estonia lifted his hand slowly as though it were on the verge of being too heavy for him and rubbed his eyes beneath his glasses. Latvia yawned and sat up gingerly. The two of them blinked and looked around, clearly dazed. Finland couldn't say a word; he was too stunned.

"…F…Finland…?" Estonia croaked, leaning forward and squinting through the poor lighting.

"Where are we?" Latvia asked, sounding frightened. "It's s-so cold and d-dark…"

Before Finland could generate a fully formed thought, he was lunging forward and sweeping his friends into a nearly rib crunching hug.

"Oh thank god!" he cried. "Thank god!"

The younger boys traded puzzled looks as they returned their friend's hug hesitantly.

"I thought… I was so sure I'd killed you!" Finland said in a choked voice. "Oh, thank god!"

"What?!" Estonia yelped. "K-killed us?! Finland, what on earth is going on?!"

"I'll explain everything on the way," Finland promised breathlessly, separating from them at last. "For now, just come with me."

"But where are we going?" Estonia asked, pushing himself gingerly off the stone slab and onto his still unsteady legs.

"To see the city council."

* * *

><p>Finland spoke almost ceaselessly as he led the four of them out of the catacombs, explaining everything that had happened. Understandably, Estonia and Latvia were having trouble wrapping their heads around it all.<p>

"I can't believe we were asleep for five whole years…" Latvia said for about the sixth time.

"I can't apologize enough," Finland said meekly. "This is all my fault… If only I had listened to you, Estonia. I feel awful about all this… I wouldn't blame you at all for being reeeeally angry with me."

"I'm still having too hard a time taking it in to really be angry," Estonia said. "It still feels like I'm stuck in some sort of dream…"

"I'm not surprised," Finland remarked. "I mean, five years is a long time to be asleep."

They walked through the town square to the city hall in silence for a moment, each of them lost in their own thoughts. Sweden brought up the rear, watching the three of them quietly. Estonia and Latvia had been predictably frightened by Sweden's appearance until Finland had assured them that he was a friend, but every now and then they would throw a nervous glance at him over their shoulders.

"What I'm most worried about is what's going to happen to us now," Estonia piped up after a moment. "You said your family left town, and we never had a lot of money of our own…"

"Oh…" Finland said slowly. "I hadn't really thought about that… All I was thinking about was whether I could reverse the spell; I hadn't considered what would happen after I did that."

"Maybe we could go back to mom and dad," Latvia suggested.

Estonia frowned slightly. "I guess it's a possibility, but I was making progress in my research… it seems like a waste to just go back home when this town still obviously needs my help."

"Well, I guess you could stay with us for a while until we figure out what to do," Finland suggested uncertainly. "It's my fault you're in this situation in the first place; it's the least I can do."

Sweden wondered how that would work. He, Finland and Sealand were able to live in their single roomed residence comfortably enough, but it would be rather crowded with two more people sharing that modest space. Then again, they couldn't exactly turn these poor children away, and he admired Estonia's determination to use his skills to help those so desperately in need. Perhaps he could suggest that Finland use a wish to help them somehow.

Before he could suggest anything, however, the four of them found themselves out in front of the doors to city hall. Finland turned around to face them all apprehensively.

"This is it… is everyone ready?"

And though Estonia and Latvia risked nothing by entering the hall, they nodded solemnly to their friend as though the stakes were as high for them as they were for him and ventured anxiously inside.

* * *

><p>Silence met their entrance. It was at first a curious silence as the occupants of the city hall building, who had been seated around a long table having a serious-looking discussion, looked up from their meeting to see who had interrupted them. Then, like a series of lanterns first flaring to life at the onset of twilight, recognition and shock dawned on the faces of each council member.<p>

"Ah, h-hello," Finland stammered nervously. "Is this… a bad time?"

The sound of his timid voice snapped them out of their stunned silence, and all of the city council members began to talk at once.

"But… how can this be?!"

"Impossible! You two were dead! I attended your funeral myself!"

"And _you_ were banished!"

"Look at them, they haven't aged a single day!"

"Don't forget that boy's power! He's making us all hallucinate! Nothing else explains this!"

Finland bit his lip anxiously, waiting for them to calm down so that he could explain. He could see Estonia and Latvia glancing at him nervously out of the corners of his eyes while Sweden hovered noiselessly behind them all, ignored by the city council members in the face of the appearance of two supposedly dead boys. Finally the village elder hushed all the other council members, and turned to face Finland once again, his eyes blazing.

"You had best explain what's going on here, Väinämöinen," he said gravely, "before I carry out the promise I made to hang you if you ever returned to this country."

Finland launched into his explanation hurriedly, so desperate to clear his name that his first few attempts at words were unintelligibly muddled. He told them about the old book of magical songs that Latvia had brought to him, how he had foolishly tried out one of the pieces without knowing what it would do, how Latvia and Estonia had crumpled as a result apparently dead. The council members were snorting and shifting impatiently.

"We know all this already," a squat, middle-aged woman at the far end of the table snapped. "It's the same cock and bull story you tried to feed us at your trial."

"I-I know you've heard it," Finland replied breathlessly, "I just… you know, it case you'd forgotten… Anyway, what happened next was…"

He skipped ahead to the part where he had found Sweden's magic lamp and had thought to use it to find out what had really happened. The members of the city council now noticed Sweden's silent, imposing figure, towering behind the three boys. Some of them looked frightened, and those who didn't look outright fearful still shifted tensely into slightly defensive positions, but they all looked skeptical.

"Certainly you must know that you'll need to prove that that man is a genie," the elder said suspiciously.

Finland had to admit that thinking up some way to prove that Sweden was a genie hadn't been high on his priority list when he'd come to get Latvia and Estonia. He looked uncertainly back at Sweden, hoping the genie would volunteer some method of proof. To his relief, Sweden held out his lamp to Finland, who snatched it eagerly and presented it for the council's consideration.

The elder took it hesitantly and opened the lid. Sweden allowed himself to be sucked into its brassy depths. The council members gasped as Sweden's smoky body seeped out from the lamp's spout once more so that he could take back his lamp and return to Finland's side. Finland hurried to resume his story about how he had used Sweden's power to uncover the true meaning of the song that had caused this whole mess, how Sweden had teleported him to where Estonia and Latvia had been laid to rest, and how he had used his own magic to awaken them from their enchanted sleep.

Silence was restored when Finland's story had finished. Finland was still trembling slightly with nerves, but he was relieved to see that the members of the council no longer looked skeptical. Sweden laid a gentle, reassuring hand on Finland's shoulder, though Finland could feel that Sweden was nervous on his behalf as well. Then the elder shifted his gaze to Estonia and Latvia.

"What do the two of you have to say on this matter?" he asked them. "Will you corroborate his story?"

Estonia threw Finland another uncertain glance. "To be honest, sir, we're not entirely sure what's happened. We just woke up in a dark, cold catacomb and followed Finland straight here from there… I don't really feel like I've been asleep for five years, but Finland has never lied to me before, and if all of you agree that it's been that long, then I guess I believe it."

The elder's gaze slid over to Latvia who trembled under his heavy gaze. "How about you, son?"

"I-I… I feel the same as E-Estonia," he stammered.

Finland gazed at the elder hopefully as he looked around at all the other council members. None of them raised any objections.

"Even if we accept your story as true, it still leaves us with the issue of you having a very dangerous power," the elder pointed out. "You may not have killed these boys as we originally believed, but you still caused them to go into a sleep as deep as death for five whole years. You must understand that we cannot simply allow someone with that kind of ability to roam the nation freely."

"I'll give it up, then," Finland said instantly. "I'll renounce my power."

He was somewhat surprised to hear those words come out of his mouth unconsciously, but he found that he didn't regret saying them. How many times over the last five years had he wished that he had never developed this skill? Even if he hadn't used it to accidentally kill his two best friends, it made him uneasy to have such complete power over everyone around him. He had been relatively lucky this time, but what if another accident happened, one that he couldn't reverse? It was probably for the best that he got rid of this dangerous magic.

"Fin… are you sure?" Estonia asked in surprise. "You're really going to give up your power?"

"Y-yeah… I don't think anyone should have control over other people like this," Finland said. "It's too much responsibility. Something's bound to go wrong."

"You will use your genie to get rid of your power?" the elder asked curiously, looking a bit surprised.

"Yeah, I think… I think that would be for the best," Finland agreed.

He looked back at Sweden, and all other eyes in the room followed Finland's gaze to the genie as well.

"Make your formal wish, then," Sweden prompted quietly, looking a bit uncomfortable with everyone staring at him this way.

Finland hesitated only a moment, letting the enormity of this decision crash over him. If he made this wish, he could never use his powers, for good or otherwise, ever again. How many other people in the world didn't have powers? Surely there were some. _It doesn't matter whether I'm the only one, _Finland told himself firmly. _I've already made up my mind. This is for the best…_

"I wish you would take away my power to control peoples' minds and bodies with my singing," Finland said finally.

Sweden reached a smoky hand into Finland's chest, and before Finland could even react to this, he had extracted a shining, pearlescent ball of light from inside of him. All eyes focused on the solid incarnation of Finland's power for a moment before Sweden crushed it in his hand. The light dissipated, and then there was nothing left. Finland's power was gone.


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: And here we are, the last chapter! Thanks to all my well-wishers on the previous chapter! I hope you'll find this a suitable ending.

* * *

><p>A long silence followed Finland's sacrifice. Whether it was because they couldn't believe that anyone would willingly give up such a powerful ability, or because they had simply never seen someone have their magic extracted from them and crushed, Finland wasn't sure. His head was still reeling a bit as well with the enormity of his decision. He knew that it wouldn't make a big change from what he was used to; he'd used his power basically for the first time when the tragedy with Estonia and Latvia had occurred and then hadn't used it again until five years later when he'd needed to save Sealand from Russia. It wasn't as though he'd grown accustomed to the luxuries his powers had granted him and would now need to readjust to not having them. Still, there was no doubt that it had been a big decision to make.<p>

"Very well…" the village elder said slowly, coming back to himself. "In that case, I see no reason why you shouldn't be allowed to return to this country if you choose. I don't know if I can recommend that you return to this very village what with everything that's…"

He trailed off uncertainly, looking at Finland. Finland glanced around at Sweden, Estonia and Latvia before speaking.

"Actually sir, I have a life in Pohjola now," Finland said. "I can't really just leave that all behind…"

"In that case, the only matter of business remaining is to determine the future of these two youngsters," the elder continued in a business-like tone. "With our town's situation being what it is, we are in direr need of Mr. Von Bock's research than ever."

"I'd like to continue," Estonia said quickly, "if there's any way I can keep living here and working on my research."

"The only issue is funding," the elder said with a frown. "With the Väinämöinen family no longer living here, I'm not sure whether anyone has the means to support the two of you."

"If I may ask, sir," Finland piped up, "do you know how to contact my family? I could ask them if they would be willing to take Estonia and Latvia in again."

The elder looked troubled. "If they are still residing in the town they went to after leaving us, it's quite a ways from here. If it comes down to either sending these boys to a distant place where Von Bock could complete his research, or staying here and not having the resources he needs then it would obviously be preferable to have him stay with your family again, but as I said before our situation is quite dire…"

A thoughtful silence fell once more. Finland started slightly when Sweden suddenly touched his shoulder to get his attention.

"'S place is a minin' town, right?" Sweden asked him in a whisper. Finland nodded. "'N' 'Merica uses a lot 'f metal fer 'is toys 'n' 'nventions, 'n' he's got that sampo that makes gold…"

Finland was silent for a moment, still working out where Sweden was trying to lead him. It didn't take him long to piece it together, though. "Oh! What if we asked America to work out a deal with—"

"'T's what I was thinkin'," Sweden muttered. "I could run back 'n' ask 'im. Take me 'bout ten minutes."

"We've just thought of something that might work," Finland announced. "Sweden just needs to check whether it's possible."

Sweden nodded to the members of the council and excused himself from the hall.

* * *

><p>An hour later, Finland, Sweden, Estonia, and Latvia stepped out of city hall. Finland let out a long, slow sigh and turned to look at Estonia and Latvia with a weary smile.<p>

"I'm glad we got that all sorted out," he said. "That was pretty good thinking on your part, Sve, to ask Mr. America if he would mind buying his metal from here from now on."

Sweden's cheeks pinked slightly as Finland gave him a grateful pat on the back, and the genie shrugged, indicating that he didn't think he was particularly deserving of praise.

"Thanks for getting that figured out for us," Estonia said. "I can't wait to start working again."

"Oh please, don't thank me," Finland said, looking uncomfortable. "After the awful mess I put you in, the last thing you should be towards me is grateful."

"Well, it's true that it was a pretty huge setback, and it caused a lot of unnecessary grief," Estonia admitted, "but there's nothing we can do to change it now. We just have to play with the cards we've been dealt, and being bitter about it will only get in the way of the rest of our lives."

Finland looked at Estonia in surprise. "That's… pretty deep, Estonia. Wow."

Estonia smiled slightly. "My dad used to say that kind of thing all the time, so I can't really take credit for it."

"We should write Mom and Dad right away and let them know we're not dead," Latvia piped up. "They'll be so glad!"

Finland smiled at the younger boy. "I think I've got some letter writing to do myself. I'm sure Norway, Iceland, and Denmark will want to know about everything that's happened today."

"You'll keep in touch with us, too, right?" Estonia asked. "I mean, I know a lot of time has passed for you and you've grown up and all, but to us it passed in the blink of an eye. To me, we're still friends just like we were five years ago…"

"Yeah, you'll write to us, won't you?" Latvia begged.

Finland was speechless. He supposed what Estonia was saying made sense, but to still be able to think of someone as a friend after that person had stolen away five whole years of your life with his own stupidity was incredible. Not that he was complaining.

"Y-yeah, of course," Finland stammered. "Maybe you can even come stay with us once in a while."

Finland saw both boys' eyes flicker uneasily toward tall, intimidating Sweden for a moment before they gave their hesitant answer.

"Y-yeah, that sounds fun."

"Can't wait."

"I can introduce you to my son," Finland said with a grin, already anticipating their shocked reactions. "I'm sure he'd love to meet you. He's around your age, after all."

It took a second for this information to sink in, but the payoff was just as satisfying as Finland had expected.

"Whaaat?! You've got a kid?!"

"And he's our age?! But… how is that possible?! Don't tell me you and Thailand really did…?!"

"Thail'nd?" Sweden interrupted suddenly, a truly terrifying expression on his face.

"Ohyaaaa! N-n-no! Of course not!" Finland squeaked. "There was never anything between me and Thailand, alright?! Jeez, Estonia! Sealand is Sve's and my son! We adopted him!"

Sweden eyed him for a moment more, clearly searching for any sign that Finland was just trying to placate him. Whatever he saw in Finland's face must have satisfied him, though, because his expression cleared once more. This information did nothing to quell Estonia and Latvia's shock and disbelief, however; in fact, they looked even more thunderstruck than before.

"Wow, I can't believe you're a dad, Finland! That's… that's so weird!"

"Wait, so the two of you are…?! But… huh?!"

Finland blushed and looked down at his feet. "Well, things are a little complicated between us, no thanks to me, but… we're—we're a family now and…" He hesitated, grinding the dirty snow beneath his shoe self-consciously. "I'm happy," he finished softly.

Sweden's fingers brushed his hand and Finland took hold of them, giving them a gentle squeeze that sent swells of foreign joy through him to join his own. He chanced a timid glance up at the genie and saw that his face was just as red as Finland's, but the softness in Sweden's eyes told him that embarrassment was a small price to pay for hearing Finland say that.

"Wow…" Estonia said, as if he were still struggling to believe it. "Well, I'm happy for you, then, Finland. Congratulations."

"Yeah, I can't wait to visit you and meet your kid!" Latvia said excitedly.

"Why don't you come around to visit next month once you're settled down here?" Finland suggested. "I'll send you a letter later and see about getting someone to pick you up."

"Can't wait," Estonia said with a smile.

"Good," Finland replied brightly. "Well, I guess this is goodbye again for now."

He shook his old friends' hands.

"Ready t' go home?" Sweden asked.

"I think so," Finland said.

Sweden gave his hand another affectionate squeeze before whisking them away in a swirl of smoke and magic.

* * *

><p>Sweden blinked as their room off to the side of the toyshop materialized before his eyes. It was hard to believe that less than three hours ago, this room had been filled with such fear and sorrow when it now seemed positively radiant. The sun had broken through the winter clouds and was now streaming through the window cheerfully. Finland's hand was still clasped in his.<p>

Now that things had been put right with Estonia and Latvia, there was only one thing on Sweden's mind. He remembered very clearly how Finland had said the main thing standing in the way of his ability to start a romantic relationship with Sweden was his need to face his past first. With that barrier overcome, did this mean that there was finally hope for the two of them?

After a moment of stillness and silence, he glanced over at Finland. If his chest had contained a heart, it would have stuttered at the look that Finland was giving him right now. Sweden had seen Finland give him what he had considered to be gorgeous, sunny smiles before, but those paled in comparison to the one he was receiving now. The weight of the guilt over what he had thought he'd done no longer haunted his expression, it was as free and clear as one who had been completely reborn.

"S…so what now?" Sweden asked, feeling a little dazed in the face of Finland's breathtaking smile.

"Well…" Finland said slowly, his smile not fading in the slightest, "first I want to say thank you for everything you've done for me."

Sweden shook his head. "'S much 's I wish I could take credit fer everything I did for ya, the truth 's that I woulda had no choice even 'f I didn't wanna help ya at all. Just acted on m' master's orders, 'n' my own feelin's had no 'ffect on the outcome."

"Well, I didn't mean just the things you did with magic, although I certainly couldn't have gotten things straightened out without it," Finland said. "I'm also talking about the support, comfort and all the other favors you've done for me. Even if I had the means to undo my mistake by myself, I don't know if I could have found the courage without you and Sea beside me."

Sweden shifted embarrassedly. He really didn't feel like he'd done all that much. The genie opened his mouth to say as much, but Finland stopped him.

"Please don't tell me it was nothing," he said softly, "because it made all the difference in the world to me."

Sweden nodded obligingly. "A'right then, yer welc'me."

Finland smiled sweetly again, and before Sweden could even see it coming, Finland was throwing his arms around him. Something in Sweden's chest sputtered happily as Finland snuggled his face into the crook of Sweden's neck. Sweden returned his embrace unhesitatingly, his cheeks flushing as he nuzzled his nose into Finland's silky blond hair.

"Do you remember when I promised I'd use one of my wishes to set you free?" Finland breathed, his lips brushing Sweden's skin.

Sweden swallowed hard. There was no way he could have forgotten something like that. "Mm."

"I think I'm ready to make good on that promise."

The genie started. "What, _now_? But… ya've still got one other wish left."

Sweden could feel the upward curve of Finland's smile on his neck and it sent another joyful little shiver down his spine. "Right now, I'm happier than I thought I could be ever again. The only thing that could make me happier is something magic can't provide."

"Ya sure?" Sweden asked, hardly daring to believe it. "Ya really wanna wastecher last wish?"

Finland was silent for a moment. Sweden looked down at him the best he could without pulling away, and was surprised to see that the back of Finland's neck had gone red. Was he blushing or was that just some skin irritation that he hadn't noticed until just now? Finland's next words answered that question.

"T-to be perfectly honest, I… I wanted our first kiss to be as equals and, um… I really don't know how much longer I can resist," Finland mumbled.

That admission made Sweden go even redder than Finland. He swallowed thickly, his eyes sliding compulsively over to his tarnished old lamp that was sitting on top of the dresser. Was this really it? Would this be the last he ever saw of that cursed lamp which he had always hated? Could this really be the day that all _his_ wishes finally came true? After having seen the way that all Finland's troubles had been undone, the genie dared to dream.

"Make yer formal wish when y're ready," he whispered. His knees felt strangely weak, and his throat wasn't working properly.

Finland nuzzled him. "I wish you were free."

"Y-yer wish 's my c'mmand," Sweden stuttered.

There was a loud sound of metal being crushed that made them both jump. Sweden's eyes darted back to his lamp which seemed to be collapsing on top of itself as though it suddenly contained a powerful vacuum. The two of them watched in silence as the lamp scrunched in on itself, growing smaller and smaller until finally it had vanished.

Finland and Sweden looked at each other for a moment in silent surprise.

"I… 'm free…" Sweden said numbly.

Finland smiled, his hand coming up to cup Sweden's cheek. "Yes."

Before Finland could utter another word, Sweden had leaned in and captured Finland's lips hungrily. His knees grew so weak with pleasure when Finland began to respond enthusiastically to his kiss that Sweden needed to back them up towards the bed so that they could sit down. The genie hummed his approval as Finland teased his lip gently with his teeth.

"I love you, Sve," Finland murmured shyly between kisses.

Sweden was too choked up to reply just then, so he just poured all his feelings into his kiss, trusting the fact that Finland could read his emotions to do the talking for him for now.

By the time they parted, they were both very red, Finland was trying to catch his breath, and Sweden was painfully aware of the fact that his eyes were rather moist. The genie sniffled and tried to wipe his eyes before Finland noticed, but he was too late. Finland took his hands and leaned in to kiss the tears tenderly from the corners of Sweden's eyes.

"S-sorry…" Sweden rasped, feeling very embarrassed by his own display. "J'st… been wantin' this fer hundreds o' years…"

He was very grateful when Finland decided to hug him close rather than continue to study his face so that he could have some time to collect himself.

"You don't have to be sorry," Finland said softly. "I'm just glad I could repay you for all the wonderful things you've done for me."

Sweden sniffled again. "Love ya, Fin… Wouldja and Sea be th' fam'ly 've always wished for?"

Finland grinned widely and kissed the top of Sweden's head. "Your wish is my command."

* * *

><p><em>Six months later<em>

* * *

><p>It was a pleasant summer day. The sun smiled down on Finland's blond head, causing it to shine almost as radiantly as the sun itself as he hung the laundry up to dry in the backyard. A gentle breeze set the drying sheets a-flutter, filling the air with the pleasant scent of laundry soap. Sweden and Sealand were occupied a few feet away with the little vegetable garden that the two of them had planted in the spring.<p>

"The cloudberries are almost ready," Sealand said, poking a nearly ripe berry excitedly. "I bet they'll be ripe just when Uncle Norway, Iceland and Denmark come to visit next week!"

"Might be right," Sweden agreed, though privately he thought he wouldn't go out of his way to save any for Denmark. He was as civil to him as he could stand to be for Finland's sake, but quite frankly, the man drove him up the wall. "Y' sure ya don't want help with th' laundry, Fin?"

"I'm fine, don't worry about it," Finland assured him.

"Could have it done 'n five seconds with m' magic," Sweden pointed out.

Finland was silent for a second, and then he poked his head out from between the hanging sheets, smiling brightly. "Too late, just finished!"

He sauntered over to where Sweden and Sealand were working to examine the cloudberries' progress for himself. Sweden stripped off his gardening gloves and stood to greet him, curling an arm around Finland's waist and tugging him gently closer for a kiss. He had gotten better at casual kisses lately; he'd been so nervous during the first few attempts that he often missed his mark or ended up not being able to gather the nerve and just staring at Finland with an expression that Sealand said made him look constipated. No more, though. He kissed Finland again, and then once more for good measure as Sealand made exaggerated puking noises at the sight.

"Bleagh, get a room, you two!" he teased. "Quit snogging in front of other people, ya pervs!"

"'S funny how y' had such a diff'rent view on th' matter last night when it was you 'n' Liechtenstein," Sweden pointed out just as teasingly.

Sealand's mouth fell open in horror and his face went scarlet.

"What's this about Sea and Liechtenstein?" Finland asked, grinning.

"Sea got 'imself a li'l g'bye sugar at th' door last night after their date," Sweden announced, his glasses glinting triumphantly in the summer sun.

"D-DAD!" Sealand spluttered. "I…! We…! What were you doing watching us, you big wanker?!"

Sweden shrugged. "Wasn't tryin' t' watch. Just happ'ned t' be puttin' out th' trash 'n' there ya two were, suckin' face out in th' middle 'f th' road."

Mortified, Sealand snatched one of the carrots they'd just harvested and lobbed it at Sweden. The genie turned his body to smoke and the vegetable sailed harmlessly through him. He leaned in deliberately to kiss Finland again.

"Y' know, y' never did make that last wish," Sweden murmured close to Finland's neck, causing him to shiver with pleasure at the graze of his lips against his sensitive skin.

"I told you, Sve, we're equals now," Finland pouted. "You don't need to worry about wishes anymore."

""I'm offerin' cause I wanna," Sweden assured him. "B'sides, yer birthday's comin' up. Oughta be a good 'nough excuse."

Finland pursed his lips, leaning back against Sweden's chest as he considered his options.

"You know, I've been wondering how it would be to have another child," Finland mused.

"Whaaa? Honestly?!" Sealand squawked.

"Sure," Finland said. "Wouldn't you like to have a little brother or sister?"

Sealand thought about this. A smile spread slowly over his face. "Actually, that might be really cool!"

"What do you think, Sve?" Finland asked, smiling up at the genie who towered behind him.

Sweden blushed. "Y' wanna make it th' natural way?" he whispered shyly.

Finland went pink as well. "Wh-what? Don't be silly, Sve! That's impossible!"

Sweden pouted, imagining how cute Finland would have been with a baby belly. "Boy 'r girl?"

"I don't know, surprise me," Finland requested, grinning.

Sweden stole yet another kiss. "Yer wish's my c'mmand."

He pointed his finger at the carrot that Sealand had thrown at him. Before their very eyes, the carrot was transformed into a little boy of about one year old with orangey hair (similar to the color of the carrot's skin) and a long streak of dirt across his face that ran from his cheek all the way across his nose like a scar.

Finland let out a drawn out coo of adoration and scooped the bare naked child into his arms. Sweden and Sealand joined him eagerly, crowding around to greet the newest member of their family. The boy regarded them with a curiously haughty look for a child so young, but was quickly distracted by the shiny silver button on Finland's shirt. He grabbed it and pulled it to his mouth, sucking on it happily.

"Oh Sve, he's gorgeous!" Finland gushed. "I can't wait to show my brothers and Mr. America! They'll be so thrilled!"

"Needs a name," Sweden pointed out.

"La la la," the child babbled around the button that he was still slobbering all over.

"How about Sparkly Peanut Quill?" Finland suggested eagerly.

Sweden stared at him, not sure if he was joking or not. Finland quailed slightly at the frightening expression on his beloved's face.

"No good?" he squeaked. "Then what about… Go For It, Bomb Bastard!"

The expression on Sweden's face grew even more terrifying as Sealand snorted with laughter.

"F-Fiery Duck Egg Muncher?" Finland proposed.

"How 'bout Ladonia?" Sweden offered.

"Ladonia…" Finland repeated. "Yeah… that's cute! What do you think, Ladonia? Want to join our family?"

The child, as young as he was, seemed to realize that Finland was addressing him because he looked around at them all with that haughty expression of his again. When his eyes landed on Sweden, he blew a loud raspberry. Sealand cackled gleefully at this, for he had not had his revenge for Sweden announcing that he'd caught him and Liechtenstein kissing.

"I think I'm gonna like this kid," Sealand said with a grin.


End file.
